


Goddess Descends

by Tiggerola



Category: Magi: Adventure of Sinbad (Anime), Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Canon Compliant, Concert, Creation, Dreams, Exploration, F/M, Gods, Hope, Implied kink, Is it considered Underage if Sinbad is head of a company?, Is labor considered Graphic Violence?, Legends, Mahrajan, Multi, Polyandry, Reverse Harem, Romance, Seeking Redemption, Slavery, Underage Drinking, Vodka, Voyage, Weddings, hierarchy of gods, play
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2020-09-28 18:56:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 33,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20430827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tiggerola/pseuds/Tiggerola
Summary: Sinbad and David aren’t the only ones who see destiny! With the power of the Sacred Palace, you are able to descend from this world into the Magi’s World to meet the characters you love and see if they’ll love you too!





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Since Reader can hop around time, I'll be posting chapters in the order Reader goes through events. Here I'll have a ToC with the Magi universe chronological order to help with time reference and see perspective of Magi characters.
> 
> Written for Fem!Reader but males that don’t mind going around in a female avatar or inflicting self with male pregnancy it might work too?
> 
> Also note, this Teen-rated version of the story, Reader can have offspring by any means conceived, whether it be from traditional means or as simple as touching the 'father' to get their dna sample, or heck, write a letter to the stork (only a few actual pregnancies will be covered)

You are a Deity in this world. Descending from your monotonous realm to live in an adventure. Unlike your reality, here you can have powers like Ill Ilah, as you are from a plain above it in the hierarchy. Sure you could bend reality to get what you want instantly, but as the fun is in the journey you set your own rules as a challenge.

You inhabit an avatar that looks how you wish. Eating and sleeping are not necessary, but you are able to engage in. You are able to hop around in time and location as easy as turning to another chapter in a book. Not to mention you can have kids like an Imuchakk, but don't let the kids scare you because you have created a home base in uncharted territory where characters you have collected from other worlds can help with their care.

** Magi Timeline: **

  * The Perfect Guard (Sinbad)
  * Proposition (Sinbad)
  * Literal Gal of His Dreams (Sinbad)
  * Conquering the Dungeon Conqueror (Sinbad)
  * (Mystras)
  * Once Upon a Dream (Drakon)
  * (Muu Alexius)
  * Arranging Your Own Arranged Marriage (Kou Empire)
  * (Armakan Amun-Ra)
  * From His Future Self (Kouen)
  * Now the Best of Times (Sinbad)
  * (Armankan Amun-Ra)
  * (Muu Alexius)
  * Big Fat Royal Wedding (Koumei)
  * (Yunan)
  * (Koumei)
  * (Judar)
  * (Koumei)
  * The Big Reveal (Sinbad)
  * Descended God (Sinbad +?)
  * (Imuchakk)
  * Found Out (Sinbad, Koumei)
  * Save Point (Ja'far)
  * Thirty Days (Sinbad, Ja'far)
  * Confinement (Sinbad, Ja'far)
  * Beach Baby (Ren Boys)
  * Favorite Wife (Kouen)
  * Night with the King (Ja'far, Sinbad)
  * Unexpected (Ja'far)
  * Homecoming (Koumei)
  * Last Days (Sinbad, Ja'far)
  * Bunker (All the Children)
  * Brave New World (Everyone)


	2. The Perfect Guard (Sinbad)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your first trip to the Magi world, you seek the soon-to-be-famous sailor in hopes of starting a friendship and more!

Having finally gotten your hands on all the manga for both Magi and Adventures of Sinbad, as well as watching the anime (and wishing they’d continue), you feel ready to play around this world. You first set out to gain Sinbad’s favorable attention. Of course you must keep your composure around him to stand out from the other ladies that melt at his charm.

You start at Contastia Harbor in Parthevia where a 14-year old Sinbad roams, seeking for work. Wandering along the docks and up and down the occasional alleys, you hope to catch sight of him or better yet, he catch sight of you.

You carry a bag everywhere you go. It holds all your essentials for traversing this world. It may also have a little magic in it that you borrowed from other worlds. _Learning a bit of the local magic might not be a bad idea either_, you ponder while searching.

As you seem to not be having any luck on your hunt, you wonder if you didn’t arrive early enough to catch Sinbad before the army draft. As you stroll through the streets, you ponder trying to get yourself into trouble to lure him out. However you don’t feel like playing a typical damsel in distress right now. Acting like other ladies, he’ll treat you with the same charm as the others and leave you like the others.

You hear a whistle and a commotion going on a street or so away. Hopeful, you rush over to watch the spectacle. When you get to the street the shouting is coming from, you see a gruff man running and screaming in chase. As his prey comes closer through the crowd, you see it is a couple of young kids with apples and bread running for their lives.

_Not bandits._ With a disappointed sigh, you begin to turn as one kid trips, allowing the older man to catch up and grab the young boy by the scruff of his collar. The other kid turns and shouts at the man to let his brother go. You stop as another voice that rings familiar to you is heard above the din. You look up to see the silhouette you’ve been searching for standing atop a building.

Sinbad jumps down with an aerial flip. After landing gracefully in front of the man and his quarry, he asks, “Now what seems to be the trouble here?”

“These urchins stole from my cart!”

Sinbad seems to eye the side of the man and you follow his gaze to notice a mangled arm on his side further from you. Sinbad reaches up to place a hand on the man’s good hand and lowers it so the young boy’s feet touch ground again.

“It’s rough times all around. But if we fight amongst ourselves, it will seal our community’s demise for sure,” Sinbad explains. The man starts to growl a protest but Sinbad continues, “How about I pay you for what they took? That way you can take care of your family and they can take care of theirs?”

The young sailor reaches for his pouch and musters up a few coins. By the grateful look of the man’s face, the amount must cover more than what was taken, but is enough for what the struggling gentleman needs. He thanks Sinbad and releases the boy, who starts to scurry off.

“Now hold on. I’d like a word with you two!” Sinbad calls to the kids. They stop in their tracks as the older boy places a hand on each of their shoulders.

With the exhibition over, the spectators continue about their business. The bustling drowns out the conversation, but you make your way through to approach them. As you arrive, the little boys have big smiles on their faces as they thank Sinbad and carry on their way.

As Sinbad straightens up, he hears a slow clap. He turns to see you being the owner of the sound.

“That was a noble thing for you to do,” you say, smiling that you finally found him.

“Well, it was nothing,” he grins.

You think about his ailing mother at home._ If only he would keep this modesty._ “I’m sure it was more than nothing. You said it yourself: rough times all around. You must be struggling too.”

“I make do.”

“But it’s not just for you, is it?” you press.

“I’ll figure something out, besides,” he grabs your hand with a sparkling smile as his tone changes, “it’s not something a pretty lady like yourself should worry about.”

Strong-willed, you keep a straight face, “And why not?” Sinbad looks a little shocked that you didn’t melt to his charms. You continue, “I care about my fellow man like the next person.”

“That is very kind of you. But I’m afraid I’ll have to bid farewell to such an honorable maiden as I search for work.”

You politely bow your head and say, “Excuse me for taking up your valuable time. I must continue on my journey.”

You pull your hand out of his and turn. You mentally count down in your head as you step away.

“Hang on a second!” Sinbad calls to you. You stop. “Where are you traveling to?”

You smile inside but show a disparaging face as you look back at him. “To the town just north of here.”

“All alone?”

You nod.

He states, “With the increase in bandits around, that’s quite dangerous for someone like you.” Sinbad snaps his fingers, “Hey! I’ve got an idea. Perhaps you could hire me to be your guard?”

You clasp your hands together hopefully; “You would do that for me?”

“Sure! If you don’t mind leaving on the morrow so I can get some things in order.”

“I suppose I can wait to set off. But I don’t have any local currency.” You reach into your bag and pull out some gems. “This is what I can offer though.”

Sinbad reaches towards the gems. He closes your fingers over them, cupping your hand in his palms and hiding the shiny objects from any envious eyes that may be lurking nearby. With a little rub, he smiles. “That’s more than sufficient. How about we spend the remainder of today exchanging them and getting needed supplies? Do you have a place to stay this evening?” You shake your head. “You may stay at my place.”

~*~

It was a pleasant afternoon with Sinbad taking you around the town. The two of walked to his home as the sun set that evening. He realized he never caught your name so he bowed dashingly and introduced himself properly, to which you responded by giving him your own name.

Now you enter his humble home in Tison Village. He goes straight to his mother, Esra, with a bag of medicine and tells her the news of getting hired. She sits up and looks over to you.

“It’s not much, but welcome to our home,” she says.

“It’s perfect,” you sigh as you admire the quaint surroundings that are so familiar to Sinbad: one shabby room with an alcove for Esra’s bed; another makeshift bed on the floor nearby; a low table and a few dishes by the fireplace. A homely aroma wafts through, probably from the spices hanging on the wall. You smile at Esra, the woman who bravely raised this boy on her own for almost a decade.

“Well, let’s get you some dinner!” Sinbad chirps to his mother. “I was able to get enough food to last you while I’m gone. Lots of fruits that you don’t have to prepare.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, dear,” Esra responds but then stifles a cough.

It might not affect anything in the long run but you offer, “If you have a pot and a cup of water, I can make some soup that might ease your mom’s symptoms.”

“Well, sure, that’d be great!” Sinbad responds. He hands you their pot and then leaves to fetch water from the well.

You open your bag and grab a can of condensed chicken noodle soup. You bend the tab to pull the top off and pour it into the pot. You stash the empty can into your bag.

“You seem to be a nice young woman,” Esra comments.

“Thank you.” You stare at the flames dancing in the fireplace. “I try.”

“This is the first time Sin has brought a lady home,” she teases.

“Is that so?” You chuckle to yourself, knowing his later reputation.

“And you’re so mature not to get embarrassed at a comment like that,” she giggles.

“He’s a good kid,” you comment, grabbing a stick to poke the fire with, “You did well with him. You should have seen him in town today. There was a disturbance and he was able to make both parties satisfied in the end.”

Sinbad returns with a bucket of water. You ladle some water into the pot. “And now we let it boil!” you announce.

~*~

The sun shines on you and Sinbad as you head on a northward road away from signs of civilization. It may be a longer journey going by foot, but you tell yourself to think of it as a pleasant hike. This is a great opportunity for some one-on-one time.

“So where are you from?” Sinbad asks.

“Lets just say I’m from far away,” you wink at him.

“I’d love to hear about it. I want to travel the world myself one day!”

You try to explain to him your home in its most basic and non-technological way. You speak of the climate. You describe the types of food available. You explain a bit of family dynamics. You tell him some of your favorite activities you do back there. You enthuse about your favorite holidays and traditions. His eyes are as big as the smile on his face as he soaks it all in.

Eventually, the two of you approach a forest that reminds you of Drakon’s and Serendine’s escape from the country. You can’t tell for sure since your GPS doesn’t have a map of this world, but you figure you should be safe. You’re probably not close enough to Reim for this to be the same forest and even if this is where the Sham Lash live, they wouldn’t attack you unless you were marked.

As you enter, you hear some rustling in the leaves. The pair of you turn, paranoid. Silence ensues and so you shrug it off and continue.

~*~

When it gets late, you both decide to camp for the evening. You pull out sandwiches to eat while he rolls out two separate blankets to sleep on. You both sit and eat, commenting on the food and good food in general. When you’ve finished, you point to where Sinbad sits: noting the space between your blankets.

“How fortunate that you are noble enough that I don’t need someone to guard me from my guard,” you tease.

Sinbad takes your hand and kisses it. “Fair maiden, I shall only advance if you wish me to. Tonight I am your humble servant.”

“Oh, you tempt me…” you play along with his antics.

“Really?!” Sinbad’s stray hair wags.

You smile over to him. “I like you so much; you have no idea,” you let slip. You make a face as you realize what you just said, but Sinbad doesn't give you time to recover.

“Great!” He pulls your arm back, causing you to fall into his chest. He wraps his other arm around your waist. “Then tonight I offer you nothing but sweet dreams, my lady.”

You can’t help the blush warming your cheeks. Good thing it is getting dark to hide your reaction. You twist around to lay your head in his lap and look at his figure. Your hand is freed from his in the process and you use it to reach up and touch the side of his face. _This much should be okay for now._ You allow yourself a small indulgence.

“I’m afraid you would leave me for the next pretty face you come across.”

He uses a finger to brush wisps of hair off your forehead. “Worry not of the morrow when you can enjoy today.”

A rustle in the brush nearby breaks the spell between you two. Abruptly, you sit up. There is silence. It’s too dark to make out anything. Sinbad gets up to check where the sound came from.

Finding nothing, Sinbad shrugs, “Hm…must be some wild animals.”

You lie back down, but squarely on your blanket, and look up at the few stars peeking through the branches. When Sinbad comes back over, he adjusts his blanket and lies down opposite from you so his head is next to yours but upside-down from you. An ominous feeling leaves the both of you silent, honing into your surroundings.

When it seems the two of you have fallen asleep, your senses are awakened by a rush of air. You shoot up, but soon a small hand pushes you back to the ground. You feel someone stand over you. Judging by the thinness and angle of the legs against you, the perpetrator is short.

In a raspy voice he says, “Such a picture of beauty. I’d slice you up if we weren’t to bring you back in one piece!” Glint of blade comes towards you, but Sinbad slips in and twists the boy’s arm behind him.

“(y/n)! Run!” Sinbad commands.

“Don’t you think I’d be safer near you?” You roll over and fumble around for your bag.

You grab a strap but before you can search your inventory, Sinbad grabs you by the wrist then takes off, dragging you with him until you manage to match his pace. “Then I guess we better run together.”

“This is bad!” you pant. You think about how long it took Drakon’s group to escape to Reim from the Sham Lash. “Where can we go to escape them?”

Ever confident, Sinbad says, “Not to worry. You hired me to get you through here safely and that is what I intend to do!”

It’s hard to dodge the trees and especially the roots when you can’t see them clearly. Somehow the boy guiding you doesn’t seem to have the same problem. The only visual you have to confirm your movement is getting you anywhere is the changing stars between leaves overhead.

Eventually a whole sky of stars can be seen, indicating a clearing. Finding this more advantageous and probably taking note of you being short of breath, Sinbad halts in the center and turns around, letting go of your wrist when he has pulled you behind him.

“Just stay there for now, okay?”

“Okay,” you wheeze and take a deep breath.

“Any idea why they’re after you?”

“I honestly have no clue. I had just arrived yesterday.”

You feel a finger on your lips to silence you. You try to slow your breathing down.

Sinbad whispers, “I think there’s 6 of them. I should be able to incapacitate them if you stay exactly as you are.”

You whisper an affirmation back to him. His body heat in front of you fades away as he disappears. You hear metal scraping and strings twanging. _He’s probably using their own weapons against them,_ you envision. Slashing. Clanging. Sliding. And of course grunts when Sinbad makes contact with the attackers.

When it grows deadly silent, your eyes rove around in search for Sinbad. You sense body heat radiating behind you. You turn to see if it’s Sinbad but the shape you can make out is too bulky. His blade swings at you and makes contact with your arm. Simultaneously, Sinbad lands on the sword, kicking it out of the attacker’s hand and springing back up to knee him under the chin, dropping the last foe.

You rub your arm, checking for damage. You find nothing worse than a paper cut; such is the advantage of being a higher level being than your surroundings. You thank the darkness for covering up the slash so you wouldn’t have to explain why it was ineffective.

“I think that’s all of them. Are you all right?”

“I'm fine,” you respond.

“You see, I can read people like the waves. Most people anyway. For some reason, you are a complete mystery. So I wanted you to stay still so you wouldn’t be a factor in taking them out. If that happens again, please don’t move. I almost accidentally took your head out just now.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll be sure to. Are you able to follow the path in the dark? I’ve got too much adrenaline to sleep now.”

“Well, we might as well keep going while we have energy.”

He takes you by the hand and guides you through the dark. You walk in silence, wary of another group that may spring. It gets chilly as the night goes on. You cuddle into Sinbad’s side for warmth. He lets go of your hand to reach around your shoulder and keep your far arm warm.

“Too bad we lost our blankets back there!” Sinbad almost laughs.

~*~

The sky starts to grow light by the time weariness hits again. Your eyes are droopy, but you can see Sinbad’s silhouette next to you. You notice the beret that is now on his head.

“Hey, what’s this?” You reach up to grab it. Squinting at it in the waxing light, it seems like it might be orange.

“Oh, it must have come off one of those bandits back there.”

As you focus, you recognize it. “Those weren’t bandits. This looks Sham Lash.”

“What’s Sham Lash?”

“The country’s personal Secret Service of assassins.”

If the Sham Lash were after you, they would be very devoted to tracking you down. Best to leave this time and place to prevent them from finding you.

“For being a _Secret_ Service and you being new to these parts, you sure seem to know a lot,” Sinbad observes.

“Let’s say I do my research before visiting. I’m sorry for causing you such trouble. I don’t know why they would be after me. They shouldn’t even know I exist!”

“Don’t sweat it. I did my part so you’re getting your moneys worth,” he said with a cheesy grin. “We made good time going through the night. If you need to rest, you can. We should be able to make it to town in a couple more hours of walking.”

“Thank you.”

~*~

You arrive at your destination. You offer another gem but Sinbad insists that he is good with what you had already paid him. After strongly assuring him that you will be safe now that you made it here, he bids you farewell.

After some investigations, he decides to head to a port town to the east and catch a boat back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise the Sham Lash didn’t appear as a plot device. Reason for their attack will be revealed in the Drakon chapters.


	3. Proposition (Sinbad)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You pay Sinbad a visit at his new trading company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a totally different idea on how things would go, but then this happened: I’m typing away and all of a sudden, Sinbad made an offer and that just sent this chapter on another track! I did some checking around with canon sources to see if it was still compliant. Then I proceeded down the new route and THINGS CHANGED ON ME AGAIN! So my previous searching is left by the wayside, and here we go down yet another new route, but I hope it’s still an enjoyable little adventure.
> 
> UPDATE: I added an extra scene at the end

Napolia in Reim was an impressive port city, and home to the up and coming Sindria Trading Company. Although at this time, they are limited to goods from Imuchakk. There is rumor of the company expanding its product base.

Sinbad is going over transactions when Vittel looks in on him. He tells him that his appointment has arrived and Sinbad tells him it’s okay to let the person come see him there. Vittel escorts you in and closes the door behind you.

“Hello, Sinbad,” you pleasantly greet him.

He looks up and is taken aback briefly. He stands up to bow a greeting back.

“It’s been a while. (y/n) is it?”

“I’m so glad you remember!”

“Why, I never forget a pretty lady.”

“You flatter me.”

“How did you even know to find me here?”

“When I heard the name of your company, it made me think of you. So I had to come check it out.”

“Now you flatter me. You didn’t by chance catch any of my performances at the coliseum?”

“I may have…” you say mysteriously.

“So how can I help you today?”

“Actually, I’ve come to see how I can help you.”

“Ever so thoughtful. If you’re looking for a job, my company can take you in. There’s office work, inter-company relations, sales. Hey, if you’ve traveled a lot, we could probably even use you as a guide. Have you ever been to Sasan or Artemyra?”

“In a sense. I am knowledgeable about their cultures.”

“That’s great! We’ve been in correspondence with Artemyra and there are rumors of Sasan opening trade in the near future. We plan to head out to visit them.”

You imagine how negotiations would go differently in Artemyra if you accompanied them and did the speaking. Some fun times would be missed out upon, that’s for sure.

You grimace, “I don’t think I can afford such a trip right now. Maybe as far as the Tenzan Plateau outside of Sasan? But I actually come offering pro…” you trail off and look down to your bag. What Sinbad was saying just hit you. You mentally go over the presentation you had prepared to give him.

All of a sudden, it seems silly to do such a thing. Your oration was just to show off little trinkets that could be a novelty. He has no need for them. So why were you even here? They were a pretext, but now just by showing up Sinbad has held the company’s doors wide open to you. He was giving you a much better offer than you planned to give him. Here was an opportunity to go on an adventure with him. Albeit you would need to cut out before they reach their destinations.

“Offering…? Oh, do you have products you would like to trade? Things you’ve picked up on your travels?”

“Actually from my land far away. But it wouldn’t do much good. It’s not like they’re things I could mass-produce. They were just an excuse.”

“Why did you really come here then?”

Your face turns red and you timidly reply, “I…wanted to see you again.”

Sinbad steps around his desk to get closer to you. Trying to decipher his thoughts while he takes his time to respond is maddening. Will he take the lead or push you away for showing such boldness? He stands right before you and takes your hand.

With a bowed head, he states, “I am truly humbled, Miss (y/n) that you would go through such lengths to see me again.” You start to swoon but then his voice changes, “So you’re going to stick around and guide us, right?”

_Using people isn’t past you, huh?_ you think as his outburst kills your swoon. Trepidly you respond, “I suppose since I am next headed in the same direction as Sasan, I could hang out until your trip and accompany you.”

“Great!” He lets go of your hand to pump a fist into the air. “Where are you heading to?”

“Oh, Gao and Kai to help out survivors of the ravaged war-torn lands,” you make up on the spot, hoping it’s believable.

Sinbad gives you a suave smile. “You seem to be always trying to make the world a better place,” he oozes while taking your hands and pulling you into an embrace, “I admire that about you.”

Your hands rest on his chest while his arms wrap around your waist. He looks deep into your eyes and you almost loose your voice. “J-just helping out, one starfish at a time.”

“It’s been a while since we’ve been like this. I look forward to traveling with you again.”

“So do I.” The desire to kiss him while so close is strong. You bridle your passions while cultivating a response. “I trust we’re not going by way of Parthevia. I don’t care for another run in with the Sham Lash.”

You heard the door behind you while mid-sentence and some footsteps.

Now done speaking, you hear an exasperated, “Sin, stop harassing the clients.”

Sinbad asks you, “I’m not harassing you, am I?”

You shake your head. You dare not speak in case you let slip that you are there with the intention of making Sinbad your own. You are the one trying not to harass him here.

“See, Ja’far? She’s fine.” He loosens his grip on you so you can turn to see the newcomer as Sinbad introduces you. “This is (y/n). She’ll be joining our company for the next few months and accompanying us when we go out for trade negotiations.”

Ja’far gives a small bow over the scrolls that he’s brought in, “Nice to meet you. I’m sure having you help out will take a load off of Miss Rurumu’s mind.”

“And this is Ja’far. He used to be with the Sham Lash, so we have plenty of reason to avoid that route.”

“Sin, haven’t I asked you not to bring up things like that?” Ja’far sighs before you can greet him back. He drops the scrolls on Sinbad’s desk. “Do be sure to finish with these before you’re done today.” He turns to leave without giving the two of you a second glance.

“Sure, Ja’far. But in return…could you help (y/n) settle in? I mean I could do it myself, but then I would have to show her every amenity of the dorms. It could end up taking me all night for such a task!” Sinbad laughs.

Ja’far stops, disgusted at Sinbad’s implication. Still facing the door he waves you to follow him. “Come along, Miss (y/n).”

You bid goodbye to Sinbad and follow Ja’far out. You both head further into the building towards the rooms used for lodging.

“I wouldn’t get emotionally involved with him,” Ja’far councils you, “he’s like that with nearly every lady he comes across.”

“I am aware of his habits. He can be a gentleman, but unfortunately all the favorable reactions from his recipients have gone to his head.”

“I trust you won’t start any company drama while here. It would be troublesome for business.”

“I have set standards. He would have to marry me before I let him do anything to me.”

This seems to relieve Ja’far’s concerns. Probably because he knows Sinbad doesn’t want to be tied down to one person. A challenge you are determined to overcome. You arrive at the dorm rooms.

“There are a few unclaimed bunks in here that you can pick from. With our company growing, we are limited on space, so I hope you don’t mind sharing.”

You go over to an empty one while Ja’far tells you where to get sheets, the way to some of the important rooms, and details for the morning meeting. While listening, you set your bag down and open it up. You look through the contents and see the items you had planned to present to Sinbad, including a fountain pen with a decorative feather that you wanted to give just to him. You also ponder on how soon it seems to be heading off to Sasan and Artemyra. He embarks on that journey when he is 16, but you intended to see him when he was still 15.

“Hey, isn’t Sinbad 15 years old right now?” you interrupt him.

“Yeah…”

_Hm…_ you think towards the logical conclusion. “Do you know when his birthday is?”

~*~

Meeting Rurumu was pleasant. So were most the other employees that worked there. There was no lack of things that needed to be done, and Sinbad seemed the busiest of all of them. You could speak with him on only a few occasions, and each relatively shallowly. Even when the company threw a birthday party for him, your present seemed to be buried under all the others from his friends and many employees. But now, your patience looks to be rewarded.

As soon as Sinbad and Ja’far caught word that an agreement between Reim and Sasan was official, they grabbed you and Hinahoho straightway and proceeded to set sail for Sasan on their Imuchakk vessel. So here you are, staring across the water at the shrinking country while reflecting.

A body approaches you from behind. “This isn’t a pleasure cruise, so you will be expected to help out while at sea.” Your heart skips a beat at the sound of Sinbad’s voice. You peel your eyes away from Reim to look at the young adventurer. He continues, “Since Miss Rurumu couldn’t come with us, perhaps you can take on some of her things like meals?”

“There’s no meal plan? Did we even stock the galley before leaving? I’m beginning to doubt how well you thought this plan through,” you tease.

“No worries. Things have a way of working out for me,” Sinbad laughs. “By the way, we’ll be charting our course in the cabin in a bit, if you want to take a look to see if that works for where you are going.”

You thank him and accompany him inside where Ja’far lays out a sailing map. He draws on the map explaining sailing to the opposite coast and following it up to Sasan. There are three major cities along the way you can stop at to stock up on supplies. Even though the names are written in a language you can’t read, you recall the maps available in the story to judge where you are going. You think the first stop is in the now Musta’sim Kingdom (which will later become Magnostadt), but not sure about the other two.

“So, what do you think of the route?” Sinbad asks you.

It does seem like it would get you a fair ways towards your ‘destination.’ You point to the first dot along the line. “Is this first one in Musta’sim?” Ja’far nods. “Hm…I think right now is an okay time to visit. If the war with Parthevia is over, there should be many magicians running around, helping rebuild the country.” Mention of their homeland seemed to put a slight damper on the mood. “It is over, isn’t it?”

“It is. But there’s a possibility some soldiers may be around,” Sinbad said thoughtfully. “We’d best avoid it for now.”

~*~

Unfortunately, all you had to work with in the galley was flour and oil. Man cannot live on bread alone, but that is what the crew needed to do until you reach land. Thankfully, Sinbad used his fisherman skills to supplement some protein, but boy did it stink to have to prepare! You would try to keep others out of the galley so you could get away with preparing meals in a less…traditional manner. At first you used alchemy that you had picked up from another world to make meal prep easier. When the flour ran out, your personal stash of Tuna Helpers became the norm.

During one down time you had tried explaining the Sasan and Artemyra cultures to the boys, but they ended up falling asleep as you illustrated all the rules in Sasan’s religious doctrine. Sinbad labeled your narration boring and said he was better off just experiencing it for himself. _Fine get thrown into a ravine for all I care, _you thought.

Nights you would spend on deck rather than your cabin, watching the moon and hoping for an opportunity to catch Sinbad alone. However, this just turned into you taking all the night watches as the boys enjoyed good nights of sleep. At least you were ‘pulling your weight’ around here.

Sometimes you would catch Sinbad come out when he was restless and practice his djinn equip, which you didn’t interrupt. He would always keep going until passing out on deck so you’d rouse him enough to help walk him back to the beds.

~*~

One late morning, you hear Ja’far call out that a city was in site. All of you rush to the deck to see. The guys start to list of all the delicious foods they plan to stock up on.

“Welcome to Palang of the Mistania Republic!” Ja’far announces when you are all on deck.

As you get closer, you make out quaint buildings painted with vibrant colors and white trim. One of the buildings up the hill stands out as a church-sort of building with a distinct gold plated onion-shaped dome on top.

You shout, “Hey! I didn’t know there were any Russian-inspired places around here!”

“Russian?” Sinbad asks. You clap a hand over your mouth. “Do you know anything about this place?”

“Eh…I haven’t heard of this town before, but it looks similar to other places I know of. They’re rich with culture! History, literature, food, boisterous dancing, and…and music!” You start to sing the first Russian-like song that pops into your head and start to dance around the deck, capturing Sinbad’s interest with your enthusiasm.

When you finish, there is a big smile across his face. “Now that’s how to explain a place! And…you have a most captivating singing voice,” he compliments.

You blush. _Helps that my avatar can produce sound just as I imagine it._

~*~

The four of you dock. You wander through the market picking out things that look good. Along the way, you hear shouting so the four of you dash to investigate. You find a crowd throwing stones while yelling things like “Witch!” and “Pagan!”

Being taller, Hinahoho can glimpse over the heads to see what’s got them in an uproar. “Hm, it appears to be a girl between your guys’ ages. She’s down on the ground, defenseless!”

Hearing this, Sinbad rushes in, pushing people to the side, telling them to knock it off. Hinahoho and Ja’far follow his lead until the crowd loses interest and disperses. Sinbad helps up the girl whom is now covered in bruises.

“Are you okay, miss?” he asks and walks her over to a bench.

She pushes her long blonde hair out of her face, but stares at the ground. Her left eye looks swollen. “Th-thank you,” she stutters, holding back tears. “My name is Irene. I came to visit my grandmother’s shrine, but then things like this seem to happen wherever I go. I cause an accident and then everyone wants to get rid of me.”

“What kind of accident?” Ja’far asks.

Irene is hesitant, but she lifts a hand with her palm out. “I can’t exactly control it, but here’s a smaller example…”

A light breeze blows against your faces. You recognize whom the guys just saved. Irene Smirnoff. A future teacher for Aladdin at the Academy.

“You’re a magician!” you announce without being able to contain your enthusiasm.

Irene turns her head away in a cringe. The boys blink and look at her in excitement.

“You mean you can do magic?” Sinbad asks eagerly.

Irene bites her lower lip, so you elucidate. “She sure can! And I’m not talking about parlor tricks, but full-fledged, Rukh-bending magic!”

Your traveling companions look at Irene in awe. She sees your reactions with surprise.

“I’ve never heard anyone praise this in such a manner,” she says.

“Those abilities sound really handy. I bet you never get too hot on a summer day!” says Sinbad.

Irene bashfully looks down. “Well, thank you for saving me. I better be on my way.”

“Not so fast, let us accompany you,” Sinbad offers, “We just came to shore after a long sea voyage and could use a good walk to stretch our legs. Besides,” he holds her hand with both of his, “the thought of a lovely creature such as yourself being treated as horribly as the townsfolk were just treating you is unacceptable.”

Ja’far growls thinking, _Oh really, Sin?!_

Hinahoho stares at Sinbad with puffed cheeks.

You take a slow, deep breath.

Irene looks at the group and then back at Sinbad whom seems to sparkle. She replies flatly, “I suppose if you need to stretch your legs, there’s no stopping you.”

Sinbad briefly hangs his head for his failed flirting.

All of you walk with her as she heads towards the highest dune. She stops at a grove at the foot of it. There is a gentle looking bronze sculpture, an altar of rocks, and an alcove in the hillside. Irene stares at the statue.

“This is in honor of my grandmother, Biruta. She used to keep the Sacred Flame burning on top of this hill. I was hoping if I walked where she walked, I’d be able to hear her Rukh,” Irene explains. She looks at all of you. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to be alone for a while.”

“Sure. If it’s all right with you, we can just head up the path and check out the shrine,” Sinbad says.

Irene nods so the four of you head up. Tall thin trees and quaint flowers with the occasional berry bush line your path. On top, the place is abandoned and shabby. You run your fingers over a wide, shallow bowl that you imagine one time burned bright with the sacred flame.

After looking around for a while, Ja’far finds chiseled writing and reads it. “It says here that when Count Kestus took the beautiful Biruta to wife, it unified her people with his, furthering peace in Mistania against different beliefs.”

“Oh wow,” comments Sinbad, “So two ideologies were able to get along. That’s amazing!”

“Ha, that’s lie,” an annoyed voice rings. You all look to see Irene coming up the path with a bottle in her hand and bags under her eyes. “Those that followed my grandmother’s beliefs either adopted the orthodox or were destroyed. That Kestus took her back to his castle by force when she declined his hand!”

Everyone dons sympathetic faces, thinking about the harsh treatment from the past.

Irene waves her bottle. “Hey! I gave some to grandmother in the grove, but there’s plenty of vodka left, who wants to share?”

Hinahoho is eager to try some. After a sample he shouts, “This stuff will put hair on your chest! We should stock up on it before we leave! I wonder if we could import it to Imuchakk?”

He passes the bottle to Sinbad who tries it. “Yeah, I can see your tribe downing this stuff, we should look into it. What do you think, Ja’far?”

He holds the bottle in front of Ja’far’s face, giving him little choice. He drinks some then makes a disgusted face. “Ugh. If you really think people would buy this.”

“If you’ve never had vodka before, wait until the effects kick in!” Irene smirks.

Ja’far offers you the bottle. You give your response then pass it back to Irene. She takes a big gulp before sending it on a second round.

Sinbad asks her, “Were you able to find what you were seeking?”

“That was her grave at the grotto. I’m at the end of my journey with nothing left to help me. She had magic like me, but today’s world has no place for me,” Irene scoffs.

“Have you ever heard of Magnostadt Academy? It’s a school where magicians can train and explore new spells and such. I bet if you went there, you could learn to control your magic,” you offer. “I, myself would love to check it out sometime.”

“Oh really? Maybe we could go together?” Irene ponders.

Ja’far tells you, “Should I remind you, (y/n), that you are heading east? The academy is to the south in Musta’sim.”

“The east has waited this long for me, it could wait a while longer…” you shrug innocently.

“Does that mean you won’t be continuing our voyage with us?” Sinbad asks, sounding genuinely concerned.

You laugh it off, “Oh come now, we haven’t had a decent conversation since I showed up in your office. You wouldn’t even miss me.”

His eyes grow big and sad. “I would too.”

You take a quick breath and hold it. Your eyes slowly rove over to meet his. The now setting sun is angled perfectly to amplify their golden intensity. His lips give off a small pout.

Sinbad continues, “I mean we finally got all this food that you can cook with!” He gestures the bulging pack that Ja’far has been carrying on his back since the marketplace.

Your expression flattens. _So you want me just so you can eat…_

Irene’s sadness dissipates while conversing with the group. You guys get a fire going as it gets dark. The effects of the vodka becomes evident as even though Hinahoho is mostly in control, the younger party members let down more of their inhibitions.

Sinbad places an arm around Irene’s shoulders. “Hey, cutie! It seems like the nights in Palang get cold, perhaps we can keep each other warm?”

Irene blocks Sinbad’s kissy face with her hand. “You can stop right there. I’ve committed to live my life a virgin, like grandma.”

Sinbad scratches his head. “But if your grandma was a virgin…how do you exist?”

“I told you, that stupid count kidnapped her! Dummy!”

Regardless of her protest, Sinbad tries to hug her, but a wind burst from her hand pushes him back, landing in your lap. You look down at him, his head resting so snugly between your legs. A bit of drool escapes his mouth. He reaches up to touch your face.

“Now you won’t leave me, will you?” He asks.

As you consider how to respond in his drunken state, the opportunity passes as Ja’far steps on Sinbad’s chest. You see him trace along a scar on his inner calf that continues up under his pants.

“Do you wanna know how I got my scars?” he asks sadistically.

Now your curiosity overtakes you. As he prefers coffee to alcohol, getting him to talk about his Sham Lash days like this is a rare opportunity. “Sure,” you respond.

“Heh. I should have slit your throat when I had the chance! After that spectacle you pulled in the Parthevia palace.”

You are mystified. “But I’ve never been to the palace in Parthevia. You must have me confused for someone else.”

“Oh I’ll tell you, you **@@@** hag. First, you grabbed **###** and ��� while **@#�**. Not to mention the **@@#** that you **�@�**. And you bleeping **\---** to the **^^^**. That was the craziest **ååå** ever seen! There’s no mistaking that **@#�-c¡å** was you!” He pulls out a kunai and licks the edge. “How about I finish this right now?”

You lean back to put what distance you can between the blade and yourself. You fumble to open your bag with one hand while not taking your eyes off of his kunai. You fish around for something for defense, but can’t seem to reach anything useful. You chance looking away to find a water bottle to cool him off. With one hand, you pop the top off and start to squeeze while saying, “This should clean your mouth out!”

You find that in the small time you looked away, the impending threat sobered Sinbad. He held Ja’far firmly by the wrist. Their eyes had met each other solemnly. Things were under control, but it is too late to stop your actions and Ja’far gets doused.

“What the hell! I’m sorry okay?” Ja’far growls at you, “Although you should be the one apologizing to me, hag!”

Sinbad sits up, causing him to step off of him. He lowers Ja’fars wrist. “That’s enough, Ja’far.”

Talking practically the same time Sinbad does, you say, “Hag?! Don’t you dare threaten me, you bratty, little, foul-mouthed assassin!”

Ja’far drops his kunai. He slumps down and holds his head in his hands. Sinbad holds him by the shoulders.

“(y/n)! Stop it!” Sinbad tells you firmly.

You look at him. Sinbad is giving you a harsh look that he’s never given you before. _Should have known he’d take his friend’s side._ You frown and stand up. Clenching the strap of your bag, you take off, running down the hill away from the sodden scene.

Hinahoho comes over and rests a hand on Ja’far’s back. “Kid’s still too young for such strong drink. I got him, Sin.”

Sinbad nods to Hinahoho and gets up to run after you. Hinahoho looks to see how Irene is doing, finding her passed out, hugging a person-sized stone. He smirks as he thinks about taking vodka to Imuchakk.

Halfway down the hill, the descent becomes uneven and you trip in the dark. Going down, you roll a few times then catch hold of a tree to stop you. You lean your head against the tree as you go over what just happened. Ja’far was drunk, so maybe he was just spouting nonsense. After all, you had no intention on visiting the Magi World any earlier than you already had; so there was no way you saw yourself in the Parthevian palace before now.

You feel a hand on your shoulder. “Are you all right?” You recognize Sinbad’s voice.

Months at the company and weeks at sea, and now you are finally alone with him. Too bad the mood is tainted by the lingering feel of glares and insults. You roll your shoulder to get his hand off.

He states, “You should be more respectful. Ja’far has come a long way since I’ve met him, but you need to be patient with him while he continues to improve.”

“But you and Miss Rurumu discipline him,” you retort.

He walks in front of you and kneels. You can see his determined look thanks to the full moon and not much of a canopy overhead.

“It’s true he needs discipline to know what is not appropriate, but he also needs compassion so he knows how to give it. Leave the discipline to me, and you focus on the compassion, okay?”

You look away and grumble, “Maybe it’s best I continue by land from here. I could help Irene before continuing on.”

“I really will miss you.” He strokes your cheek, urging you to look back at him.

“Miss me? Or my cooking?”

“Your cooking is just an excuse,” he says charmingly.

You let him guide your chin so you stare straight into his intense gaze. He tilts your chin up and comes closer like he’s going to kiss you. Despite your longings, you bring a finger up to his lips.

“Kissing me is a serious commitment. Are you ready for that?”

Sinbad’s face flattens. “You sure know how to kill the mood, you know?”

“I want you to know what you’re getting yourself into. It’s not like kissing others.”

“How so?”

“I play for keeps.” You place your hand over Sinbad’s heart. “When you kiss me, you’re giving your heart, body and soul to me. You won’t be able to have eyes for anyone else. Are you willing to give that up for me?”

“If that’s what it takes to keep you with me. You’re fun and thoughtful and supportive. I’d be a fool to let you go.”

You shake your head. “You just hit on someone else _in front_ of me not an hour ago! I don’t think you are ready.” You stand up and start walking away. “I’ll be back when you’ll have me as your one and only.”

He falls forward with one hand stretching out towards you. “B-but…You’re the girl of my dreams.”

You spare one last look over your shoulder, twinkle in your eye. “Am I now?” You disappear into the dark night.

Unfortunately, as much as you want to take him, you can’t allow yourself to do so in a way he’d remember. At least not until he’s told his generals he has no intention of marrying and Kougyoku’s accusations of defile have happened. It’s too bad you don’t have the freedom to stay with him. Catching him this young before he becomes too much of a womanizer, he might have turned out differently. However, his last sentence gives you an idea for a surefire way you can see him again without disrupting destiny.

~*~

You return to the shrine to find Ja’far asleep, cradled in one of Hinahoho’s arms. Irene is also sleeping soundly. Hinahoho gazes into the dying flames of the fire. You sit down next to him.

“Oh hey. Did Sin find you?” he asks.

You nod. “Yeah. He’s just down the path. I think the alcohol overtook him again.”

“Why? Did he compliment you?” He gives you a mischievous smile.

You bring your knees up to your chin and wrap your arms around them. “Do compliments count when he’s drunk?”

He laughs.

“What?”

His eyes twinkled like he knew something you didn’t. “So, we good to get going?”

“You guys can board the boat and sail on without me. I’ll stay with Irene here.” You nod your head to indicate the sleeping blonde. “I’ll make sure she gets somewhere safe.”

“I guess if that’s the way it is,” Hinahoho stands then goes over to hoist the supply bag onto his shoulder with his free arm. “But if this isn’t Sin’s idea, he’ll be cross when he’s sober.”

Hinahoho heads down the dark hill. He hears the sorrowful moans of his master. Upon approaching the noise, he makes out the flailing arms of Sinbad who is lying face down in the dirt, clawing the earth before him.

“No…Don’t goooo…” Sinbad mumbles.

Hinahoho shakes his head. “Guess your mind only cleared temporarily when there was danger.”

“Oh man. My head hurts...”

Hinahoho bends down to wrap an arm around Sinbad’s waist and throws him over his shoulder. “Come on.” With both boys now draped over his shoulders, he makes his way back to their ship.

“Where’s (y/n)?” Sinbad croaks.

“Taking care of Irene.”

“Why doesn’t she take care of me?” he whines.

“You are an able bodied adventurer,” Hinahoho states.

“Why does she think I went out on deck all those nights?”

“Late night practice?”

“And she’s too damn nice to interrupt. Worked myself to death before she’d come to me. Every time! And when she got me to bed, I could never get her to stay,” Sinbad drowsily slurs.

Hinahoho chuckles, “I’m sure sharing a bed with Ja’far and me didn’t have anything to do with that.”

“It’s not funny!” Sinbad sighs. “I miss her already.”

“Just be honest with her next you see her.”

“Uhhh…and when will that be?” Sinbad ponders more in his head than out lout as he drifts off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Russian song I first had in mind is the upbeat chorus of the traditional “Kalinka” composed by Ivan Larionov. Then I thought of how fun it would be to sing “A Rumor in St. Petersburg” from Anastasia to keep it in English, have fun changing voices between the character parts, and belt out tenor on Dimitri's part. Either can work here. Of course with this and future songs, I try to leave it open for the readers to choose their own songs in another way to personalize the story for them.
> 
> I hope mean crowd peoples throwing stones don’t offend anyone with the names they called. It was used to demonstrate the villagers being close-minded mean-y heads, not to demote various beliefs.
> 
> Next chapter I’ll try to get some more of the mechanics on how you are a goddess here and what that entails, so if you have any questions, let me know and I’ll see if I can work some answers in!


	4. Literal Gal of His Dreams (Sinbad)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Magomet determines your capability with magic, you create your home base, and you haunt Sinbad’s dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you missed it~I added an extra scene at the end of the previous chapter.

You stand with Irene Smirnoff outside the Magnostadt Academy after a long journey.

“Thanks for helping me get here. Who needs a man, right?” Irene says.

You respond, “Well you know, I just let those boys think they’re the big strong protectors.”

Both of you share a laugh. You enter the building. It is definitely quainter than what it will be 15 years down the road. The Academy is a single, worn building with a dark interior color scheme. You stop a very young girl with blue hair and ask how one can be admitted for learning. She asks you two to hold on and runs up the stairs, so the two of you sit on the bottom step and wait.

You both stand again when you hear footsteps echoing down the stairwell. The young girl returns with an already old Mogamett. She introduces you to the Chancellor.

Chancellor Matal Mogamett looks over you two. He nods at Irene, “Lets go outside so you can show me your current levels.” He gives you a curious glance, but you follow them out.

He encourages her to demonstrate what she can do and she hesitantly lifts her hands above her head. A gale swarms around her that causes piles of wood to clatter, stacks of pots shatter, and wagons with gardening tools to scatter. She stops abruptly and cringes; waiting to be scolded for the mess she’s made. To the contrary, Mogamett claps his hands a few times.

“Magnificent. Such raw power without any training! I think we will be able to help you hone your skills here, and you may be able to help us in furthering our knowledge later on,” he praises.

Irene lets out the breath she was holding. “You mean you’re not mad at…this?” she says, gesturing to how everything is now in disarray.

“Not at all,” he smiles. He waves the girl that introduced you over. “Yamraiha, could you please?”

Little Yamraiha nods in affirmation and calls out a spell. Some water emerges from a well and moves around the clearing, moving things back into place as she guides it with hand gestures. When things are stacked back up, the water slinks back into the well. She beams with a big smile when she sees Irene’s impressed face.

You take a step closer to the Chancellor and point to yourself. “Can you teach me how to control the Rukh too? I can sometimes see it.”

Matal Mogamett scrutinizes you even harder before replying, “There is no Rukh in or around you. I have never seen anything like this. You don’t have any magic, you don’t even have any magoi, you are less than goi.”

You may understand his implication, but Irene hasn’t learned some of those terms yet. She tilts her head questioningly. You shrug and then place a hand on Irene’s shoulder.

“I guess it looks like I can’t learn magic here after all. But this place will be good for you. I wish you the best,” you tell Irene then walk off with a wave.

You walk around the corner. After your goodbye sinks in, Irene chases after you. But as soon as you are out of her sight, you teleport away so that when she turns the corner she finds the alleyway deserted. “Hey wait! … Huh?”

Yamraiha trots over to look. “That’s strange. If she doesn’t have any magoi, how did she disappear?” The wheels in her head started turning, trying to figure out this puzzle.

~*~

Since honesty is one of your personal challenges here in the Magi world; when you left Musta’sim you appeared in the far east where you said you were going to help out. If you are lucky, you might catch sight of Emperor Hakutoku’s older two sons. Koutoku’s boys are probably too young to be on the battlefield at this point.

You spend some time going village to village, helping orphans take care of themselves, reuniting torn apart families, and other various kind acts. All the while planning your next move.

Not being part of Solomon’s world, the Rukh don’t respond to you. Djinn’s would probably be the same story. Magic and science you learned from other worlds still seemed to work for you though. _So if I can bring skills from a higher world…hmm…higher. If I could learn to control things higher than the Rukh…_ If you can’t control the Rukh, then maybe you could learn to control the laws the Rukh are governed by. You are not the level of a magician or a magi, but that of a god.

For a god, there is a place in between your world and the Magi’s world: the Sacred Palace. You conclude the next step in your plan to get Sinbad requires some more preparation. Eventually you decide that it is time to pay Ugo a visit.

~*~

Books. Computers. Fish tank. The air is stale as time progresses an eternity to every second. You appear in the midst of this homely atmosphere in an enlarged avatar to match Ugo’s size. You face his back as he types away at theories. You place a hand on his shoulder.

Ugo jumps, being pulled out of his train of thought so suddenly. He gets a look at you and backs away, turning red.

“Wha—How did you get here past all the Sacred Palace’s defenses?”

“Your defenses keep lower beings from coming up here. You have little to stop higher ones from coming down…”

“Do you mean…like Ill Illah’s creator?” His bashfulness is overcome by intrigue.

“Yeah. I’m from the same world as Shinobu Ohtaka, the one that created Ill Illah. Since here is where boundaries between the levels of gods and worlds was or will be broken, it allowed someone like me to come visit. When you recognized Ill Illah had a creator—that connected the creator, and by extension the creator’s world, to your reality. So now just like how Ill Illah was able to visit Alma Torran, I can visit you.”

“Fascinating!” He jumps back on the computer, excited to add a new factor to his equations. “So that would explain the disturbances I’ve been picking up. You are traveling through the Sacred Palace between your world and the one Solomon and I created…”

You find a floating Aladdin embryo nearby and gently poke it. “This place transcends time from down there right? So here I have all the time I need.”

Ugo pauses and looks over to you. “Time for what? I hope you aren’t going to ruin what I’ve been working on.”

You raise your hands peaceably while you promise, “I know your story from beginning to end. I won’t do anything to disrupt destiny. You’ll have more problems from Al Thamen. I am interested in you teaching me about your findings on how the world works.”

He blushes and sweats as he remembers your gender. “Y-you are interested in my research?”

“Yes, I’d like to know how you created this world. I’m interested in reconfiguring floating particles. Not being from your world, I don’t have Rukh, but the other planes of existence have controlling factors too, right?”

You sit by the computer to face him. His fingers twitch over the console and retract as he averts his gaze.

“You don’t need to be nervous. I like otakus!” you smile.

He adopts a hopeful expression that he won’t turn you off with all the information he has to offer. Starved for company, he energetically spouts off facts that he’s gathered over the years. When grasping concepts becomes too hard, you remind yourself that you literally have all the time in the world to get it and keep going. You are determined to gain the skills you need for your endeavors in the world below.

When you have enough foundation for what you want to do, you summon a surreal globe of the world and verify what is solid and what isn’t held together as well. You get Ugo’s permission to create a little spot in an unoccupied space for you to practice what he’s taught you.

Gazing at the open areas of the globe, you pick the latitude and land for your ideal climate. Touching that part, Ugo accedes and you transport to the opposite side of the known world to begin building!

You create your castle with the ease of building it in a sandbox world. You’re sure to have essentials like a library, ballroom, throne room, dining hall. Office spaces for meetings, bedrooms for staff and guests. Of course fun things too like a theater room, pool, and other activities you enjoy. Under the castle you set generators and pipes and such to power everything so you can have all the comforts of home whilst being off the grid.

And what is a castle without a secret passage or two? When you have finished your creation and label the area as your own country, you head to one of your secret rooms.

Among the planes Ugo taught you, there was one of the subconscious: The Dream World.

You gather elements from that plane and contain them in an orb on a metal stand; a tool you can now use to connect to dreams. You place your hand over it and search out for Sinbad. With the way things are timed, he should be in Artemyra by now. You sense his consciousness and wait for him to fall asleep to commune with him.

~*~

** _“Sinbad…”_ **

A voice echoes through the dark. It repeats.

** _My name is Sinbad. I have been left bare to the elements in the Valley of the Dead._ **

Your face appears before Sinbad’s. Your lips are tantalizingly close.

** _And yet…I keep going back to that time…_ **

The darkness envelops you. Your voice calls his name and he turns around.

** _Maybe it’s my life flashing before my eyes…_ **

He sees you strolling away from him.

He tries to run to you, but feels like he’s not getting anywhere.

** _Or maybe it’s my one regret._ **

He trips and his body spirals down into an abyss.

** _How long will these dreams torment me?_ **

Floating, falling, he resigns to a laying position.

** _“You’re not ready…”_ **

** _Yes I am!_ **

He senses your mouth by his ear.

** _“Then why are you at the bottom of the ravine?”_ **

** _I was just being polite to the Queen._ **

He rolls mid-float trying to catch a glimpse of you.

** _Please come back. I miss you._ **

** _“The vodka was speaking, not you.”_ **

He searches back and forth.

** _Honest! You are the one person I can’t read; you make my life interesting._ **

You materialize a distance before him.

** _“Am I your one and only?”_ **

He tries to swim through the air towards you.

** _Right here, right now, you are all that matters._ **

You glide towards him and he is able to grab your arms and pull your bodies together.

** _“And what about later?”_ **

He wraps his arms around you but you disappear again.

** _(y/n)! (y/n)!_ **

He searches around for you to appear again.

** _Please come back, (y/n). I…I l-…_ **

He sighs and quietly thinks as he flops backwards.

** _I love you._ **

You found the part of his mind you were searching for!

Your face floats into his view, upside down from his.

** _“Will you marry me?”_ **

He stares intently into your eyes, then your lips.

** _Stop teasing me._ **

** _“Isn’t it exciting not to know?”_ **

He brings a hand up to hold the back of your neck. You mimic his action.

** _That’s why I want you._ **

He bends his elbow to bring you closer.

** _“Will you?”_ **

Your noses and foreheads touch. His eyes close.

** _Is this real?_ **

** _“As real as you want it to be.”_ **

** _Then…yes._ **

Without him realizing, you are both upside up in each other’s arms.

No longer falling, but resting in comfort.

** _“Say it, for me, please.”_ **

** _Will you marry me, (y/n)?_ **

The two of you come together in sweet contentedness.

~*~

It may have taken a number of nights. And the repetitiveness was getting tedious. But now you had what you needed to proceed. Through bad times, through good times, he might not know it, but Sinbad was going to be yours!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I allowed to make a Rick-Riordan-Athena-goddess-style Brain Child for Ugo/Reader? Or is explaining like that too direct of an outside reference? Also been debating on using references to explain mechanics like going through a Holo-novel (Star Trek holodeck), playing Sims with cheats on, Ready Player One's virtual world, or Minecraft. I’m trying to avoid direct references so as not to distance readers that are unfamiliar with the references. Hopefully the descriptions given paint their own picture for the reader to accept as plausible.
> 
> Ugo probably would have been Reader’s first stop at the beginning of the story…but it was just too exciting to start on the adventures and leave explanations for later. ^^;
> 
> Hope the dream sequence wasn’t too cheesy or too many abilities.
> 
> Next chapter was one of the first ones I wrote in this story, so it should be up soon! (Just got to flesh out the beginning and connecting parts.)


	5. Conquering the Dungeon Conqueror (Sinbad)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You seek out Sinbad while he's in the clutches of the Slave Trader Madaura.

You enter the meeting room of the Mariadel Company on Ria Venus Island. Poised and dignified, you glide to a couch across and rest on it with an air of confidence. A twinkle shines in your eye as you think of Sinbad. This is where he is.

Three cups are set on the table between the couches. You hold up a hand as a slave offers to pour you some tea. Umm Madaura enters with little Kil by her side.

“Lady Maader, I’m very appreciative that you could meet with me,” you say.

Madaura takes a sip of tea before responding. “I heard that you would make this worth my while. I have never heard of you nor your country before, but something in your request intrigued me.”

She reaches into her pocket and pulls out what looks like an emerald, translucent green and smooth, but the shape bends a bit as she pinches it between her fingers, showing off it’s rubbery substance that is unfamiliar to the Magi world.

“I see you got my sample. If you care to display wealth beyond the viewer’s reach, items like this, as you can see, are captivating to behold.”

“Captivating, yes, but how would this increase my profits?”

“Having more like that on display can be used to boost your image. But I also have products that can more directly boost your sales.”

“I’m listening.”

“Now, you are in the forefront of the slave industry. Other companies are bound to catch up with your innovativeness. I have something for you to stay ahead in the game.” You reach into your bag and pull out a sequined necklace. “Accessories to compliment your merchandise. This looks fancy, but it is costume jewelry so it is cheap to come by.” You lay it out on the table for her inspection. “If you adorn your slaves on the market in baubles such as these, more clients will be interested in them, increasing demand and making the auction price soar.”

“I see. I take it you have different styles that I could chose what would represent my company?”

“Yes I do. I also offer fabric to dress them in that will make them stand out from other companies’ slaves.” You pull out a shiny knit sample that has foil weaved through it.

Madaura inspects how the fabric feels compared to how it looks. Her mind imagining the effects of using such means.

“And think of your reputation. If you are known to be so wealthy that you can afford to dress your slaves so well, others will think them higher quality. Your status of taking good care of your slaves will secure you at the top. Plus new slaves will look forward to serving such an affluent master.”

Madaura takes a moment to think over your proposal. Greed in her eyes betrays her feelings. “I shall consider your products and let you know of my decision on the morrow.” Looks like a promising deal could be compromised.

“Excellent. In the meantime, do you...provide lodging for clients that will be staying overnight?”

“But of course. Kil? Could you see to her accommodations?”

Time to act. You raise an eyebrow and lift a corner of your lip in apparent disgust. Madaura turns her head to see your reaction. She looked slightly confused that your cheerful demeanor up till now has all suddenly gone sour. “I’m sorry. Is there a problem?”

Mustering whatever stuck-up nerves you can find, you reply, “I’d prefer an older model. And something in purple. It’s my favorite color.” You glare at the child’s green hair, even if green doesn’t really bother you.

“I assure you, Kil will set you up with the very best we have to offer,” she gives a little laugh to save face, “How presumptuous of you to think that I would give you _my_ assistant for the evening.”

You visibly relax a little to get her off the defensive. You are so close, you don’t want to push too far and botch it up now. You close your eyes and smile back, “Apologies for the misunderstanding. That was not my intention.”

“Kil will ready your room and I shall personally pick out someone to tend to you for the evening.” She gave a nod to Kil and he made his exit. “Do you have any other parameters?”

You hope she doesn’t have too many older purple-haired slaves. Obviously it would rouse suspicion to request a former dungeon capturer. “Obedient. But I’m sure you make sure all your slaves behave themselves.”

“But of course. My company has the best trained slaves,” Madaura gives a smile. You smile in return.

She excuses herself, leaving you for a moment. You look out the window at the blue sky, loosing yourself in thought until she returns with a tall skinny boy with dark hair.

“This is Nico. He will take care of you during your stay…”

You frown. Not Sinbad. Hopefully you presented her with treasures desirable enough that you can get away with making a scene. You walk over to the boy and lift his wrist and drop it. “Too scrawny. He needs to be strong enough to bring in my trunks. They have samples of the different styles we offer. This one looks like he could barely manage my overnight bag.”

Madaura’s eyes get dark but forced a smile. “Apologies. You should have mentioned the services you would require…”

“So you would think that I traveled all this way to sell items, but not bring the items to sell?” Hopefully you could make her feel desperate enough to bring out Sinbad.

“Of course not. There is a crew to help unload.”

“In that case get me one that is strong enough to carry heavy items but careful enough to not ruin them.”

“Just a moment, then.”

She takes the poor boy out. You hope she doesn’t unleash her wrath on the poor kid. You give a mental apology to him for your insults. She returns with a stronger looking young man this time.

“May I present Fatima to you.”

_Head slave; she is pulling out the big guns now. _This may be one step away from your goal.

“Hairs much too light,” you scoff “What a ghastly shade. I thought you were known for providing beautiful children.”

Fatima’s eye twitches and if he weren’t trying to impress his Lady Maader, he’d probably lunge at you at this point. She extends an arm in front of him to hold him back.

“Don’t you think you are being too picky?” Madaura persuades.

“Not at all, see the way this one glares at me? He’d as soon stab me, given the chance. There is no way I could be comfortable with him in my room. Surely you have someone more amiable?”

Madaura bit her lip. You pick up the necklace and fiddle with it to remind her why she should oblige. She excuses herself a moment more.

This time she comes back with a line of children. You quickly scan for Sinbad and find he is not among them. You shout, “These are unacceptable. Perhaps I shall take my business proposal somewhere that will treat me better.”

Madaura’s jaw locks and ushers the slaves back out of the room. “Surely you wouldn’t give up on this venture because of something so trivial?”

“Surely you have something to live up to your reputation.”

She seems to drift off in thought. Kil returns and lets her know your room is ready.

After a brief conversation, she turns to you and states, “I do have one more that may be to your liking. But he still is in ‘training.’ It will take a bit before I can present him.”

You take a deep breath and let out a sigh. “Very well. I shall wait. But if even after this I find you are still holding out on me, you can forget any bargains.”

“I intend this one to be my crowning jewel,” she gives a wicked smile. “In the meantime, please come relax in the room prepared for you.”

You follow Madaura and Kil down the hall and into another wing that resembles more of a hotel. Upon entering a room, you note the bed has purple sheets and purple drapes over a window.

“Wow…it’s purple…” you state.

Kil points out, “You said it was your favorite color.”

“Ah, yes. I find this very soothing. And you’ve managed to fit so much royal into one place.”

“So glad you approve.” Madaura turns to leave. “Excuse us while we prepare a servant for you.”

~*~

With Kil in tow, Madaura makes her way down to the dungeon. She opens one of the cells and reaches in. She straightens up, pulling a chain.

The chain draws out until the end reveals to be attached to the neck of a battered and bruised purple haired young man in nothing but a loincloth and giant gold loop earrings. There is no spark left in his eyes. It looks that if he could choose to be dead, he would do so.

“There is an opportunity for your punishment to end,” Madaura speaks with a sickly smooth tone, “I have a client that is needed to be impressed. You are the only one I can trust with this. Do not let me down. Do everything this client asks of you and nothing else. If you show any disrespect,” Madaura yanks the chain, “You will be punished.”

The slave’s eyes dilate at her last word. She hands the chain to Kil then lifts the wooden restraints around the slave’s wrists. She takes the ring of keys from her waist and frees his hands.

“Take him to get cleaned up for our esteemed guest,” Madaura orders Kil.

~*~

You hear a knock. You open the door to see Madaura present a clean but disconnected Sinbad. Despite all the emotions screaming inside your body, you try to keep a composed demeanor and not give yourself away. You eye him up and down. He is dressed in a light tunic and wears a metal collar with the chain removed and his bare feet are shackled together: the symbols of his status.

You reach for inspection to give his bicep a squeeze. Sinbad gives no reaction. You step to his side and take a lock of his hair, rubbing your thumb over its smooth texture. You exclaim, “What a lovely shade. You have quite a unique specimen here.”

You detect a hint of pride in Madaura’s subtle beam. “He shall deliver your things to you shortly, then.”

You nod your approval.

“We shall negotiate terms tomorrow,” she states.

“I look forward to it.”

As they leave and you close your door, you let out a deep sigh now that you can drop the façade. It’s hard to see him in such a state. Heck, it’s hard to see anyone in such a state. Time to collect yourself. As much as you desire to encourage him to hang on, to let him know help will be on the way, you know he cannot afford hope right now.

His hope is gone and that is what will keep him from being punished. Madaura managed to break his spirit and now he is arguably at his lowest. You recognize this essential part of his growth. It is so sad, and yet at the same time, beautiful. The greatest things can come from the most depraved. A necessary evil of the world.

Sinbad returns with your luggage. He enters slowly, like he hasn’t used his legs for walking for a while. He sets the load down on the luggage rack at the foot of the bed. He stands there like a lost puppy. Eyes clouded over, for better or worse, he doesn’t recognize you. You test his attentiveness.

“You can unpack this case for me,” you say as you unlock and open the case.

He obliges and starts putting the items into a dresser drawer.

You rummage through your personal bag in search of the main item you intended to bring on this trip: a piece of paper. The paper looks like an official document with fine print. Packed near it is a feathered, felt tip pen.

“I need you to do something for me.”

Sinbad stops to await your request. You place the paper on top of the dresser.

“I need your signature on this.”

You hold the pen out to him. A pause. You’d like to encourage him that it will help get him out of there (as indirectly as that may be), but you remind yourself that you can’t give him hope. The alternative would be to threaten him with punishment. _Please don’t make me resort to this,_ you think. He remains still.

“Do I need to tell Lady Maader that you are a _bad child_?”

The thought causes him to stiffen up. He grabs the pen. He turns to face the paper and you point to the place for him to sign. You allow yourself to selfishly hug him from behind while he does so. You nuzzle into his shoulder but refrain the urge to give him a little nip. As revolting as it is, he technically is still Madaura’s property. Instead, you breathe in deep through your nose, taking in his scent.

You reach over and take the pen out of his hand and sign another line. A Reim Marriage License. You can’t exactly read it because this world has it’s own writing system. You hope that Sinbad can’t read it either in his traumatized state or that would make some of his future encounters awkward. You promise yourself to tell him after such moments have passed. It feels a bit underhanded, but he did consent in his dream.

**First King “Sinbad” Conquered.**

_The greatest things can come from the most depraved_.

~*~

The next day when Madaura asks how your night was, you ooze how comfy the room was. She inquires on your satisfaction with the slave to which you reply, “That one worked out perfectly. You really know how to keep your slaves inline. In fact, because you went out of your way to find me the perfect match, here’s a bonus.”

You work out a deal with her that she finds most agreeable. You may be overly accommodating so she will be in a good mood with Sinbad, or because you know she won’t be in business long enough to act on said bargain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally made it! The chapters up till now were suppose to be a single chapter originally ^^; but then things expanded so I broke them up.
> 
> Call me sadistic, but Sinbad as a soul-broken slave was my favorite part of the manga. I just wished I could reach through the page and comfort him. And I reeeeaaaaly wish AoS would get a second season so we could hopefully see the slave arc in anime form!
> 
> Anyway, enjoy imagining your evening with your very own Sinbad slave <3 If you're worried about consent, in the scene I wrote out--Reader gets cold feet, but then Sinbad communicates he wants to. I keep going back and forth of posting a version of the story that includes the lemons. I'd want more of this T-rated version out before so there is plenty of added scenes to make it worth it. My other debate is if people who read lemons do it solely for the excitement, or would they enjoy less heated smut scenes.


	6. Now the Best of Times (Sinbad)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for Mahrajan in the early days of Sindria.
> 
> The play's the thing, to catch the king!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There didn’t seem to be a set time when Sinbad accomplished everything (Final chapters so rushed! v-v) so I’m taking the liberty to say in this reality he got djinns 4-7 and failed at 8 by the time he was 22.
> 
> I choreographed a song, but feel free to imagine a different dance to the song you choose or arrange the song of your choice to fit the pattern of what’s written. (VCVCVCBCC)

You visit the second Sindria in its early stages. Buildings are not quite finished, many sea monsters frequently swim nearby, and not all the 8 Generals are around. Still, Sinbad has maxed out how many djinns he could have. _So much wasted potential on all his djinns that are rarely used in the manga…_

You stroll through the developments, taking the opportunity to see more backstage of the story. The first Sindria was established so quickly, in about a year, whereas this one takes closer to 6. Mostly due to the fact that this was an uninhabited island that they had to build from the ground up versus the first Sindria being a deserted island off of Parthevia. The distance to ship materials doesn’t help time-wise with the process either.

You make your way to the palace, where a few towers are completed, but most of the wings are still under construction._ Now…how to see the king? _Some guards stop you as you try to enter the grounds. You try to explain you are a close friend of Sinbad’s but they won’t listen. You are about to give them a demonstration of your abilities to make them see reason when a couple pairs of footsteps ascend the stairs behind you.

“What seems to be the trouble here?” a voice asks. You turn to see Ja’far as a young adult with Masrur that is barely a teen, but already quite tall, approaching you. You freeze for a bit as you recall last time you saw Ja’far he held his weapon to your throat. But you regain your wits as one of the guards explains you claim to know the King. Ja’far looks you in the eye and his head tilts curiously.

“(y/n)?” he addresses you.

“Yes…” you reply warily.

Ja’far turns to the guards. “You don’t need to worry about her. She’s traveled with us in the past.” With clearance, the guards return to stand attention. Ja’far extends a hand from his sleeve to direct you through the gateway. “Please, be our guest. We’re headed to see Sin right now.”

You follow Ja’far and Masrur towards and into the palace.

“You look exactly as I remember you,” Ja’far observes, “like you haven’t aged a day.”

“And you’ve grown a lot,” you counter, “and Masrur especially.”

“You know Masrur?” Ja’far asks. Masrur looks at you questioningly.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Probably back on Ria Venus Island.”

Masrur grunts. He was kind of a celebrity at the coliseum there.

“Oh? You do get around. I haven’t seen you since Mistania. How have you been?”

_Why is he being so friendly with me?_ “Depends. Do you still think I’m a _hag_?”

Ja’far looks shocked. “Did I call you that? I’m sorry. Was it after we were drinking? I don’t remember much of what happened at the shrine.”

_So he doesn’t even know he was threatening me._ You take a deep breath to relax. “You were going to tell me how you got your scars…” you prompt.

Ja’far’s face flushes as he looks away. His hands drop from his sleeves and clenches his lower robes. “Eh…How about we don’t talk about that, okay?”

_Darn I almost could have known!_ You look at him, gauging if you could pressure him into revealing the rest of the tale without triggering his assassin mode. “Aw, I’ve been dying to know ever since then…”

You feel a hand rest on the back-top of your head and Masrur uses it to urge you to keep walking. “Let it be,” he grumbles. You sigh in resignation.

When the three of you enter Sinbad’s office, you find stacks of paperwork lining the boarders of the desk while the King’s head rests in the center, asleep. Ja’far goes around to rouse him with a lecture about slacking off.

Sinbad stirs and rubs an eye. Groggily, he looks at you and Masrur in front of him. He focuses on you. “Am I…dreaming?” Suddenly alert, he places his hands on his desks and pushes to help him stand. He rounds the corner, knocking a stack of scrolls much to Ja’far’s dismay in the process. He grabs you by your shoulders. “(y/n)! It is you isn’t it?! You’re really here? I haven’t seen you since…Mistania I think?”

You feel partially relieved that he doesn’t remember your encounter at the Mariadel Company. Yet also at loss for not being able to share said encounter with him.

“Looks like you’ve started your own country, Sin.” You smile back at his gaze.

“It’s not complete yet, but we’re getting there. So much has happened since last I saw you. Would you do me the honor of having dinner with me so we can catch up?”

~*~

Even if you are aware of most his story, you still listen to what he says. He definitely dramatized his retelling and glossed over the rough patches he had. Still you could listen to his harmonious voice as it produces a melody for your ears alone at the well-spread table.

“But tell me, what have you been up to all these years?” he says after finishing his oration. He picks up his cup to moisten his throat after all that talking.

Coyly, you wave your hand. “Oh, nothing as intriguing as your adventures.”

“Come now.” He reaches over to stroke your face with the back of his fingers. “You’re always so mysterious. Surely you have something to share.”

In reality, it’s hardly been any time for you since you last saw him. You shrug your shoulders while savoring his touch. “All that time without you just blends into sameness.”

“Mm…That’s good. I’ll have to remember that line,” he gives a slight chuckle.

“Oh dear! Have you been flirting around?” you half tease.

He doesn’t answer you, but simply grabs a small piece of fruit and presses it to your lips. His smile is soft and stimulating as he urges it into your mouth. You accept and let your lips linger around his fingertip for a moment before he pulls it away. Your eyes are closed to savor the taste.

You exhale. “Don’t do things like that unless you’re sincere,” you implore.

“My dear (y/n), I am very sincere.” He gazes into your eyes with intensity that could melt an iceberg.

You refuse to succumb to his charms so soon. You know how much he enjoys the chase. “As sincere as that ‘Trading Company’ building you’re focusing a lot of your resources into?”

“Oh that? That’s merely an attraction for foreign customers.” His eyes close and a sweat drop rolls down his face to the edge of his grimace.

You raise a stern eyebrow.

“Eh, let’s not worry about stuff like that and focus on you now?” he stammers, “I know so little about you. Hardly seems fair, doesn’t it?”

You prop an elbow on the table and rest your chin on your hand. “And what kind of investment are you willing to make to get to know me?”

He thinks for a moment then pounds a hand in his fist. “I know. We both like to travel. How about we take a journey together? Just the two of us this time; I’ll be all yours with no distractions.” He takes your free hand and presses it to his lips then handsomely raises his eyes to look at you with a glimmer. “Just like our first time together.”

You inhale deeply to slow your racing heart. Spending so much time together could put your plans in danger. Could you spend that much time with him without him learning of your true relationship? What other effects would accepting such an offer have? You come up with an excuse, “But your kingdom needs you here to help build it up.”

“Ah, but building seems to have gotten sluggish as of late.”

The opportunity you’ve been waiting for! You bring your original plan back on track, offering, “Oh! I think I have an idea that would help with that.”

“Do tell,” he says with a sly grin.

“Throw a giant party to revitalize everyone’s energy! Celebrate what everyone has accomplished so far so they’re more eager to keep it up. Make a tradition of it and it’s sure to attract more foreign customers than your _brothel_ will.”

Sinbad feels stabbed that you know the true purpose of the Trading Company building. He tries to swipe it away as he ponders your suggestion. “A party, huh? It’s true that we’ve been all work and no play as of late…”

“I’m thinking you could put on a big show with a little play and lots of musical numbers that celebrate your country. Food and dancing! Booths with souvenirs to boost your economy…”

“And have it be traditional…Hmmm…Kind of like the Mahrajan the Imuchakk have. We are getting close to the season that more Southern Creatures come around the island. We could put our own Sindrian twist to it.”

“Just let me be your Morale Officer for a while and I’ll get it all taken care of. I’ll write the script and arrange the musical numbers, plus…” you say with a wink and adopt a sing-song voice, “seeing something I create will help you get to know me better.”

“Great! See to it. You can use my generals to help you prepare a wonderful evening for Sindria.”

~*~

You meet with the four generals that are currently in Sindria. It’s kind of bizarre to see them in the adolescence that the manga glossed over. So young, but already loads of responsibilities. _This will be like putting together a high school musical,_ you think.

Introductions are made and you start off with outlining what you have envisioned. There will need to be a stage set up and some actors, singers, dancers, and musicians. Then you give the generals their assignments.

“Yamraiha, I’ll need you to work out spells for special effects to make the show really spectacular,” you explain about fireworks, confetti, sound amplification, and such.

The 16-year old girl nods with elated determination.

“Sharrkan, I’m going to put you on public relations. Advertise the festival to get people excited. I’ll also need you to get the word out for auditions and hire staff.”

“You got it!” The 14-year old boy salutes with a wink.

“Masrur, can I assign you as Assistant Stage Manager? You’d be in charge of set up and take down, as the whole festival area will be an extended stage. You’d also direct the stagehands.”

“Alright,” he states.

“And Ja’far...” you pause. He’s always working and last thing you want to be is the straw that breaks the camel’s back; sending him into assassin mode on you. “I know you’re pretty busy with your current duties, so I’d hate to add to your load…”

Ja’far sighs, “It’s okay.”

You proceed, “Could you manage the budget? I hope that won’t be too stressful. I’m thinking we do this like a community project so the actors and help would be volunteering and not getting paid. Lots of people love to be in the limelight so finding talent shouldn’t be hard. And any donations for resources would also help out.”

“Very well.”

You continue the discussion, leading the brainstorm and getting the generals excited (well, half of them showed it). After you close the meeting, they filter out to get started or resume their normal duties. All except Ja’far. He hangs back and approaches you after the others have left.

_Oh great! He’s furious and now I’m going to get it!_ You bow your head to him. “I’m sorry! If the budgeting is too much, I can do that part too!”

He tilts his head questioningly. “No, I’m fine doing the budget. I was just going to compliment you on how well you delegated the assignments. Like you already know everyone’s strengths and you catered to them.”

You blink. “You think so? Oh, well…thanks.”

“(y/n)?”

“Yes?”

“You seem nervous around me. Is it because something happened in Mistania? Please forgive anything I may have said or done, I was not in control.” He bows his head behind his sleeves.

First impressions last a while, but Ja’far has grown so much from the little bratty, foul-mouthed assassin he use to be. Heaven thank those Rurumu chops! Sinbad did ask you back then to show Ja’far compassion. You run a hand over your hair and hold the back of your head. “Okay…but don’t drink around me, alright?”

Ja’far looks back up and smiles. “Fair enough. It’s not customary for me to be scolded about drinking. I’m usually the one berating the others.”

You scoff at the irony. He smirks back. With the air cleared between you two, you feel more at ease. You know how protective Ja’far is of Sinbad. If he doesn’t see you as a threat, your plan will be a lot easier. You bid each other farewell as he goes back to work and you begin writing a script for Sindria’s First Mahrajan.

~*~

You line up a playlist of songs you find appropriate for the founding of Sindria. Sure you may be borrowing stuff from your reality, but that saves on time to compose. Just need to rewrite a few lyrics here and there to make it more applicable. You do what you need to do to get a list composed of what performers you need by the audition date Sharrkan set up.

He sits by you as you watch performer after performer exhibit their talents. Between auditions, you look to your side that Sharrkan isn’t on.

“I feel like we need another judge here.” _Yeah, we could start Sindria’s Got Talent!_

“Nah, we got this,” Sharrkan trills while scribbling notes.

Even so young, he’s amassed a lot of fans on the island, considering how many people he got to show up, with the promise of seeing him and even working with him if they’re cast.

“So…how long has it been since the last time you were in Heliohapt?” you say, trying to make idle conversation.

Sharrkan’s smile fades. “Oh, I think since I was about 10…why?”

“Just comparing to how long I’ve technically been away from my homeland. It’s probably been about 6 years now. I’m sorry if my question made you sad.”

Sharrkan tugs his ear with the gold chain. “It’s fine… Where are you from anyway?”

“From a place called (country name).” You look wistfully into the distance. “I’m thinking of going back there after the Festival.”

~*~

You keep busy with sets, costumes, rehearsals, and such over the next number of weeks. Migrating season is coming soon, so you make sure the performers are ready, but keep tweaking with the extra time until the next Rampaging Unicorn shows up.

That day arrives and while you’re adding more sparkles to the costumes you hear a great bell ring. You rush outside to see lots of people hurrying towards the bay. In the clamor, you could make out excitement and what tonight will bring. Ja’far appears behind you.

“It looks like Sharrkan did his job of spreading the word about Mahrajan. Are you ready to hold the Festival tonight?” he asks.

You turn towards him. “I take it that means…” you snake your hand up and down with your fingers opening and shutting while making a rawr-ing sound.

Ja’far nods. “Sin already sent Yamraiha and Masrur to take care of it.”

You tilt your head, “That’s an odd coupling for the job…this I got to see. I hope Masrur is still able to set up after this.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Feel free to come watch.”

The two of you follow the citizens. When closer, Ja’far breaks from the crowd to go up a cliff and you follow. Sinbad and Sharrkan are already at the top, watching the Rampaging Unicorn speed towards the island. You see Yamraiha and Masrur down on the shore. Yamraiha sits on her giant wand and flies towards the beast while Masrur runs to gain momentum for a massive jump over the water and swims the rest of the way with amazing speed.

Yamraiha uses a spell and the unicorn’s skin goes from blue to red as she steam cooks the beast. It wriggles in protest. Masrur hops onto its back and sprints up its spine to its neck. He tries to twist its neck, but it rolls with his twists, making the attempt futile. Yamraiha manipulates the waves to urge the beast onto dry land. Once beached, Masrur gives up trying to snap its neck and launches up to its head. He kicks off high in the air and comes down with one foot extended.

“Bararaq Kauza.” His household makes contact with the sea serpent’s skull, felling the foe.

Cheers from the spectators on the shore reach all the way up to where you are watching. The Sindrian community comes together to start preparing the beast for the feast.

“Well you know, I’m a year older than him, so I taught him everything he knows,” Sharrkan says smugly. You could swear his nose grew pointed as he bragged.

“It looks like those two work well together…” Sinbad observes.

Sharrkan’s eyes grow big. He looks at Sinbad and then back and forth at the two generals with the southern beast. “Huh, what? No! Those two CAN’T be together!!!”

Ja’far says, “I’m sorry (y/n). Maybe Masrur won’t be able to set up after all. He’ll need to recover after using his household.”

Sharrkan balls his hands and nods. “There, see! Those two DO NOT make a good team! What was Masrur THINKING using such extremes when he still has work to do after this?”

Sinbad looks over at you. “I apologize. I didn’t realize you would need his help after this.”

You think for a bit and shrug. “What can we do but improvise? If Yam still has energy, maybe she and Sharrkan can get all the tables, booths, and special effects set up?”

Sharrkan nods so fast you wouldn’t be surprised if his head falls off. “Yes, yes! We should wo—Wha-?!” His tan skin blanches.

Yamraiha floats up on her wand to join your group. Masrur remains below, seemingly napping in the sand.

Sinbad announces, “It’s settled then. Yamraiha, you and Sharrkan get the festival set up in Masrur’s place, we’ll start festivities at sundown!”

Sinbad takes your arm and escorts you back to the palace with Ja’far trotting beside him, leaving the other two to bicker on how they’d set up together and who would be more useful doing so.

~*~

All that time preparing and now your plan can come to fruition. You are ready to give Sinbad a night to remember…or a night not to remember would be more accurate.

You address a group of girls that Sharrkan hired to serve the King’s table. “So you’re the lucky ladies that get to eat with the king tonight? I want you to make sure he gets _plenty_ to drink. I don’t want him to know the meaning of thirsty!”

They nod their understanding and you look around. The festival has already commenced, but the King and his party were nowhere to be seen. After searching for about an hour, you find Sinbad, Ja’far, Masrur, Sharkan, and Yamariha conversing in the castle.”

“There you guys are! You’re missing the show!”

“What’s the need? We’ve already lived it,” asks Sharrkan.

“Not latecomers like Yamariha here!” You put an arm around her shoulder. “It’s a good opportunity for her to see first hand and immerse herself in your adventures! And for the rest of you…” You point a finger at each of them. “You haven’t experienced it with music!”

“Music?” questions Ja’far.

You nod, “Yes. When you’re in the moment, breaking into song isn’t always so natural, but in a recollection, you can have singers and instrumentalist in the background playing out what your soul is screaming for the world to know! It ups the emotional connection to a whole new level!”

Sinbad claps his hands on the backs of his nearby comrades. “Sounds like you put a lot of effort into this. We should definitely go appreciate your hard work! I trust you relied heavily on my published works as a source?”

“I believe my sources were accurate,” you wink.

You lead them out to their table and excuse yourself to get ready to perform. When the play ends, the concert portion of the entertainment starts. You come on stage and start with a song you picked out to illustrate Sindria rebuilding after being destroyed. The music may be foreign to the audience, but it’s catchy and gets the crowd pumped up.

When you finish you go for your costume change while talented individuals perform the other numbers you lined up. This all leads up to the grand finale.

Here’s your big moment! The dance ensemble lines up on stage. Other dancers stand ready among the audience; distinguished by their costumes that you designed. This is set up so all can watch the show on stage and get a close up view as well. You position yourself to dance in front of the King himself. All of you hold your beginning pose.

The music starts. The ensemble sequentially changes their pose in a wave whereas you and others among the audience do one fluid move and freeze. Another wave. This time one dancer at the end of the stage ensemble breaks from the line to leap with a high note in the music. The music repeats a new spinner joining the lone one up front with each wave.

The dance is now fully underway as the first verse starts. High energy courses through the vicinity. You and the other dancers following the music in kicks, spins, bobs and weaves. Leading into the chorus where on stage they are firm in their ballet while those among the audience break into a more fluid contemporary dance.

On the second verse you hold your hands behind you innocently and side step and pivot, then side step the other way and pivot with each line, slowly moving forward with each change of direction. The last line you flourish with a full twirl. As the chorus returns you and the other audience dancers now use more of your arms in a bewitching spectacle. You start with rolling your hands together, constant space in between like rubbing an imaginary ball. You then move like you are rolling the imaginary ball down and up your arms and around your body.

During the interlude, you drape the scarf attached to your wrists around King Sinbad’s neck and grab his hands.

“Dance with me!” you invite, pulling him up. Sharrkan and notable guests around the area encourage their King.

You pull him to the center of your circle, remove your scarf from his neck, and lead him into a tango pose, staring intently into each other’s eyes. You circle each other clockwise as the third verse starts. You switch arms with a sigh in the song and circle the opposite direction. You take his hand to twirl back, flourishing your free limbs. Still holding his hand, you yank a little to spin yourself to wrap his arm around you. Your leg creeps up his as you tilt back and stroke the back of your fingers of your free hand down the side of his face and end the verse with a kiss.

You immediately push him away as the chorus strikes up again and again. The other solo dancers start to free dance with the audience members while on stage is still a mesmerizing manifestation of grace. You dance in circles around Sinbad, encouraged by his pleased face. You continuously hold onto him for support for more extreme moves such as bending backwards.

During the bridge, you shimmy up and down around him. As the bridge climaxes, Yamraiha’s inventions shoot fire up from the sides of the stage and confetti is blasted out to the audience. They cheer at the exciting surprise as the song wraps up with a repeating chorus. It ends on a triumphant note. All dancers hold their finishing pose, most panting from the rigorous exercise, as the audience applauds and cheers.

The dancers exit and musicians come onto the stage and start playing some local music. The show may be over, but the Festival is not. From behind, Sinbad places a hand on your waist and takes your hand. You crane your neck to see his smiling face above you.

“That was a beautiful dance,” he compliments you and slightly pulls you closer.

“Thank you. Would you like another?” You roll your hips to the music, playfully bumping him in the process.

He bends to whisper behind your ear, “Perhaps somewhere else for a more private demonstration?”

You try to keep it together instead of melting at his offer. “As you wish.”

You hold his hands and skip to the music from side to side as you lead him away, dancing all the while. He hops along, smiling and laughing. Occasionally he spins you behind him so he can lead you down the streets. At one point he starts to head further from where you want to take him and you yank him back on course. Down an alleyway, you open a door and let him in.

The room is modest in size, but makes up for it with fancy pillows and blankets adorning the room. A low table with a jug of wine is the only real furniture. You make sure the door is locked and draw the curtains over the window. You look over your shoulder at him, bat your eyes, and give him a sly smile.

“All right lover boy,” you lower your voice and speak with a dark accent, “show me what you’ve got!”

The two of you are propelled from the leftover energy from your dance. Although his head is full of alcohol, so as much as he can mentally get into the demonstration, his body is unable to fully do what he intends. He summons all of his djinns one by one, as he keeps switching to get help from all of them. Afterwards, he asks which form is your favorite and lays down in that form for you to snuggle up to.

He wakes up the next morning in his own bed. He got so drunk he can’t remember the party nor your time together afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Sinbad Seduction song I used for writing the dance was "Håll Om Mig" by Nanne Grönvall, what song did you envision during the dance? I’ve accumulated a long songlist for the festival, I could write a whole oneshot on the performance ^^; What other songs did you guys choose?
> 
> Original thought for this was a more backstage roll in influencing the entertainment without the generals or Sinbad seeing you until the performance, so I hope you like this less sneaky and more interacting-with-them version. Moved some things from the next chapter to this one as a result. Now to update the next chapter (that was already written) to flow with the current relationships…


	7. The Big Reveal (Sinbad)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to show Sinbad the fruits of your times together!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter turned out longer than the others, so I broke it in two. Now we catch up to “Children of Sinbad” that I had previously posted. It is somewhat the same, but I made some adjustments to fit with the story up till now. (ie, As the One Shot introduces Reader, here less introduction is needed and considering I could name one of my crushes from 20 years ago, I’m sure Sinbad would remember a spark from 7ish years ago, especially since I made Reader more prevalent to him than originally intended. Also, more Reader POV focused here)

As you promised yourself, you return to Sindria to tell Sinbad of your union and intimate moments now that all canonical mentions of him not having kids or a wife passed. It is a few days since Kougyoku returned to Kou and Aladdin left for Magnostadt, so the chances of interfering with destiny are low. You appear directly in his meeting room with your surprises. You set snacks and hot chocolate out on the table and start pulling pillows out of your seemingly bottomless bag.

“Aaaand…why do you want us to hide under pillows?” your older surprise inquires.

“To see _his_ reaction,” you hum. _Animated responses are so much fun._

“Do you think he’ll like us?” the younger surprise asks.

“I hope so. How could he not love such adorable and talented gems as you?” You bring both of them in for a hug.

You poke out of the room to see if you can find anyone to bring Sinbad to you. You see a stack of scrolls coming down the hallway, carried by a figure slender enough to not be seen. You recognize the green billowing fabric that frames them though.

“Ja’far!” you shout to get his attention.

“Ack!” Ja’far drops all his scrolls.

“Oops, sorry.” You help him pick them up.

When you both reach for the last scroll, he looks up to see who startled him. “(y/n)? How’d you get here past security?”

“Am I not welcome here?” You feign a pouty face.

“No, you are,” he breathes, “Just…well…never mind.”

He looks to the side as he accepts the scrolls you gathered. You crane your neck trying to see his eyes and guess what’s going on inside his head, but he is stubbornly avoiding contact.

“So…could you bring Sin here? I brought some refreshments I set up in there.” You point to the room. He doesn’t respond. “You and the others are welcome to join…I brought enough.”

“Yeah…I guess.”

The two of you stand up and he continues on his route. You return to the meeting room to produce more refreshment and hide your surprises.

When Ja’far reaches Sinbad’s office, he passes Masrur guarding the door without much acknowledgment. He sorts the scrolls into different compartments along the wall, oblivious to Sinbad daydreaming at his desk instead of working.

“It’s not like you to space out while working…” he hears Sinbad jest.

Ja’far blinks and notices he has filed the scrolls, but hasn’t removed his hand from the last one yet. He lets go to rub his temples then turns to Sinbad, deciding how to tell him.

“Is something on your mind?” Sinbad asks.

“Well…you have a visitor…” Ja’far responds.

“I do? Is it anyone in particular?” Sinbad prompts.

“It’s (y/n). She’s waiting for you in your meeting room. But I should tell you…” Ja’far looks up to Sinbad but finds that he’s already gone, leaving a gust of air from his sudden departure. Ja’far groans. He follows after and motions for Masrur to join him. “Come on, lets see if we can keep him from doing something stupid…”

Masrur puts a hand on Ja’far’s shoulder. He states, “It doesn’t need to be complicated.”

Ja’far looks up to him. “But Sin…”

Masrur cuts him off, “I’m not talking about Sin.”

Ja’far sighs and puts his hand on Masrur’s. “I’ll do my best,” he says with a weak smile.

He hadn’t told Masrur what was bothering him…but he didn’t need to. Masrur had always been observant in his silence with eyes that could read between lines and emotions. He could tell Ja’far was conflicted. Ja’far took his strength to keep it together. They went after their King.

Back at the meeting room, you look out the window, gazing down at the developed Sindria.

“You know, it would be great if I could see you more than once every 5 to 10 years.”

You turn to see Sinbad, leaning against the doorframe and trying to mask his panting.

You give him a warm smile. “Good to see you too, Sin.”

He opens his arms to welcome you into an embrace, which you cross the room and accept. He holds you tightly then loosens a bit so he can trace your jaw line.

“Ah, (y/n). Will you be sticking around this time?”

“This time I plan too.”

You’re close to kissing, but his entourage arrives. So instead you greet and usher them in, seating them between the piles of pillows. Masrur insists on remaining standing. You offer them cups of hot chocolate as well as marshmallows and red licorice. Reluctantly, Ja’far picks up a cup and holds it. You sit across from them and plop a marshmallow into your own cup and take a sip. Sinbad follows suit. Ja’far takes a sip, forgoing the marshmallows.

Sinbad says, “So, to what do I owe the pleasure this time?”

“For some long awaited introductions.” You grab some licorice.

“Oh? Who to?” Sinbad asks.

You wave your licorice away from you matter-of-factly. “Your son.”

Ja’far’s eyes grow big as he sprays his drink out in shock.

Sinbad’s voice cracks, “My wha-?”

From the pillows next to Sinbad a boy in his mid-teens jumps out. He has a long, purple ponytail, a bit lighter than Sinbad’s. His eyes are golden and he wears a giant grin.

“Hi-ya pops! The name’s Bengood.”

Sinbad practically falls over into Ja’far’s lap. Ja’far nearly spills his cup, but manages to get it back on the table. The youth hops down to sit on the couch. He reaches for a handful of marshmallows, dumps them into an unclaimed cup, and gulps it down. The others stare at him.

Remembering himself, Bengood wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and continues, “Sorry, I was getting thirsty hiding under there. Glad to meet you. I enjoy adventure and sparring.” He grabs another bunch of marshmallows and plops them into his mouth one by one.

Sinbad sits back up and uneasily greets the boy. Bengood nods back, face stuffed with sweets. There is an awkward silence. Ja’far quietly growls Sinbad’s name, to which he looks back at him innocently, communicating that he has no idea how something like this happened. Bengood shrugs to you, letting you know he’s done with his ‘one-on-one’ time.

“Your daughter is here as well,” you inform Sinbad.

As he looks at you questioningly, a little girl from under the pillows next to Ja’far pops out with a twist, startling the former assassin. She has pinkish-purple hair pulled up in a high ponytail. Her lavender eyes look eagerly at Sinbad.

“Nice to meet you dad, I’m Punya. I like exploring and sharp, pointy objects!” She beams impishly. She now hops down, hovering over the table. “And I’m sure you’ll like me a lot more than Benny-boy here!”

She grabs a bunch of licorice and a marshmallow. She throws the marshmallow at Bengood and it bounces off his nose. With a smirk, Bengood swipes any marshmallow powder residue off with his thumb, then accepts her challenge by grabbing a fallen pillow off the floor and flinging it back to his sister. She grabs another pillow and brings it up to block the attack. She peeks around the pillow to stick a tongue out at her brother and then chews on several licorices at once.

Not to be outdone, Bengood leaps over the table, smoothly swiping a licorice and brandishing it towards his sister. With a strike, he knocks the sweets out of her mouth. She dives to the side to recover her treasure. Wielding a salvaged strand, she turns back to defend herself. They begin fencing with their food, laughing giddily and throwing friendly comebacks at each other.

To say Sinbad and Ja’far are shocked is an understatement. Masrur remains stoic, but the other two follow the duo’s antics as they joust across the far side of the room. When Ja’far regains his composure, he eyes the pile of pillows that you are leaning against.

“Any more surprises?” he asks. Obviously, not having sensed the children’s presence before irritated him.

You are amused but try to keep a serious look on your face. “No, just those two,” you say while knocking the tower beside you over to prove no one was hiding there. You then open your bag and grab a thermos. You unscrew it and pour yourself more hot chocolate. You offer some to Sinbad, but he holds up a hand that he has enough. You top off Bengood’s cup before replacing the lid and returning the thermos. You turn towards the kids. “Children, remember why you’re here. Come join us. Your poor father is speechless! Give him a chance to say something.”

Remembering there were others around, they sheepishly return to the couches. Punya focuses on her licorice and claims a cup of chocolate. Bengood plunks more marshmallows in his newly filled cup, sipping this batch to make it last. The silence weighs heavy on the children as they wait to hear what Sinbad thinks of them. Occasionally, the kids catch each other’s eye and repress giggles. Ja’far elbows the King to spur him into action.

Looking back and forth between the two, Sinbad asks, “Um…well...I take it these are your kids. You’re saying they are yours and mine?”

“Of course,” you nod.

Face reddening, Sinbad stammers, “That’s not quite possible. You and I have never even had s-…” Ja’far coughs and Sinbad realizes there are children in the room. “Um...Masrur? Could you give these two a tour of the place?”

“Ok,” Masrur looks at the kids and states, “Come along.” They cheerfully jump up and follow him. As he exits, you can hear him whisper under his breath, “Lady Killer of the Seven Seas.”

Sinbad plasters a smile on his face. “I’ll catch up with you kids in a bit, I need to talk with your mother for a moment.” After they are gone, he frowns and turns to you, “Explain yourself.”

You give him a confused look, “What needs to be explained?”

“We have never had sex, so how can you claim those children are mine?”

“But we have. When you were a slave and at the Mahrajan.”

Sinbad tilts his head thinking back to those times. He scowls with his arms folded. He brings his fingers up to rub his temple. He shakes his head. “It’s not possible.”

“I could show you…if present company doesn’t mind.”

Ja’far sighs, “Sadly, I’m use to this sort of thing…”

You wave your hand in a circle to create a portable screen that can show what happened. The images start with Madaura bringing slave Sinbad to serve you for the evening. Then him desperately pulling you in for a kiss, cropped to your bare shoulders. The scene then goes to the grand spectacle of a Mahrajan. Sinbad is drinking and laughing until you dance together. The two of you break off to somewhere more secluded. The next shot is of the back of your head with Sinbad over you switching djinn equips.

“I can be more graphic if needed…” you turn back to them to find Ja’far’s face pale in horror and Sinbad straight faced and still frowning.

Sinbad says, “That doesn’t prove anything. I don’t remember either time.”

“The first was during a period of trauma, the second you were way drunk,” you explain.

Ja’far states with an annoyed tone, “I suppose that is plausible.”

Sinbad turns to Ja’far and sarcastically whines, “Thanks for standing up for me!”

Ja’far retorts, “The kids do resemble you and your habits do follow suit to this claim.”

“Would you like to submit to a DNA test?” you offer.

“A what?” Both Sinbad and Ja’far ask.

“Oh, right…Uh…Do you have any magical means to prove their heritage?”

Sinbad barks, “Yamraiha can look into that. But I’m going to stop you in your scheme right there!”

“My scheme???”

Sinbad shakes his head. “I can’t believe you’ve been planning and playing me all this time. I’m not going to give my kingdom to your bastard children…”

You gasp and take a stand, propping your hands on the table, “How dare you call them that!” You reach across and slap him for the insult. He is more shocked than anything at your action. “These children were formed fully within the bonds of wedlock!”

Ja’far deadpans, “There’s no way! Sin has never gotten married!”

You sit back down and rummage through your bag. You pull out the marriage license and show them. “By the laws of Reim, we have.”

Ja’far grabs the document and examines it. “This does look like Sin’s signature...Hang on…the date on this falls within the time Sinbad was a slave. Slaves don’t have those kinds of rights.”

“I looked into it,” you state as you pull out another paper and hand it to Ja’far for inspection, “According to Reim law, in the case of no longer being a slave, a person has 30 days from when they are free to notify the government of anything they may have signed against their will to nullify it. When Sinbad was free, I submitted this document and notification was sent to him. He never disputed it, so the marriage holds valid.”

Sinbad gripes, “But I never got any notification.”

You bring up your screen again. This time it shows a pair of soldiers coming to the Sindria Trading Company in Napolia and delivering a letter to Sinbad. He looks the letter over with a confused face, shrugs, and then throws it into the fireplace.

“How was I supposed to know what that was with all the big-worded terms and extensive language?” Sinbad defends.

“The fact remains: I am your wife and they are your legitimate children!”

Sinbad snatches the documents from Ja’far. “Then by the authority of Sindria, I declare these documents to be null and void!” He tears the papers one, two, three times then tosses the pieces into the air and they flutter down.

You give an exasperated sigh. You lift a hand and a force pulls the scraps towards you. They arrange together and then solidify back into their original form. You tuck the documents back into your bag. “If you hate me so much, then you can petition it to be nullified the proper way.”

“Guess I’ll be making a trip to Reim,” Sinbad shrugged.

That stung. You try to hold your voice steady. “I thought you loved me. This was supposed to be happy news for you.” Holding back tears, you gather the empty cups and the remainder of the snacks you brought and put them in your bag. You sling the bag over your shoulder.

“Why now?” Ja’far hisses as you turn away. “Why didn’t you let Sin know of this sooner? See him yourself when he was freed from slavery. Let him know he had kids when they were born? You didn’t even mention any of this last you were here and instead disappeared after the Festival before we could even tell...” His voice breaks and he inhales through his teeth. “…what we thought of your production.”

The real reason is beyond their understanding. You simply state, “You know as well as anyone that he is a very busy man. He often shows how he can’t be bothered with a family. I respected that.”

“But you didn’t give me a choice,” Sinbad growled, “Things could have been different.”

You look back over your shoulder, “Would you have things different, Mister Singularity that sees Destiny? We would distract you from your goals. I only bring them now because Bengood wants to go explore the world. Punya is going too. _In case_ something were to happen, I thought you should meet them at least once.”

“Aren’t they a bit young for that?” Ja’far accuses.

“No younger than you two when you were traveling. They have Sinbad’s blood. I think they can handle the world.” Not to mention your blood that makes them demigods.

Sinbad folds his arms and closes his eyes, taking all of this in. Regaining his wits he smirks then gets up and walks to the window. “I suppose if they are my kids, they should be able to. But I will not recognize you nor them as my heirs.”

“Pardon?” You fully whip around to look at him.

“The succession of my position will not be based on royal blood.”

You face palm. “That is not why we’re here! I don’t want your kingdom! They don’t want your kingdom! We have the whole world and don’t need to be tied down solving other people’s problems!”

Sinbad looks back at you. “You don’t want...Sindria?”

“Of course not! Haven’t I liked you before you even started dreaming about your own country?”

Sinbad sighs, “I suppose that’s true. Our first encounter was before I even conquered my first dungeon. But your methods were still underhanded.”

“I thought you liked the unpredictable. The more unknown, the more fun, right? Now you have some more random figures to keep your life interesting.”

Sinbad muses over the short time he had observed the children so far. He half-smiles. “I never foresaw kids in my future. They do seem to be of a capricious nature.”

“Hate me if you want,” you whimper, “but at least give them a chance.”

Sinbad holds the back of his head. “I guess I better go meet them then.”

~*~

Out in the courtyard, Masrur had halted the tour so the rambunctious duo could release some energy. The two had engaged in some tumbling and acrobatics. Currently, Bengood is on his back with his legs in the air, Punya standing on his feet. He starts to move them like they’re walking as she tries to keep her balance. His legs then go in alternate circles like pedaling. Punya keeps up then reverses the direction.

One by one, Sinbad’s generals and others stop by to watch the tricks with curiosity. The two notice the crowd and exchange a look. Bengood brings his legs in and then kicks up, sending Punya into the air. She flips and lands on her feet; hands in the air while Bengood kicks off the ground in a back flip, ending in a similar pose. They bow to the crowd’s applause.

“Enough for a dance party?” Bengood smiles to Punya.

“Oh yeah!” she cheers.

Bengood pulls out the phone you had given him and scrolls to find an upbeat tune. He scans the crowd and recognizes Yamraiha’s hat as that of a magician. He approaches her.

“Um, hey! Could you hold this and maybe use some magic to amplify the sound?” he asks.

“O-okay...” Yamraiha tilt’s her head in confusion, but summons a watery cone for amplification.

“Great, thanks!” He hits the play button and hands her the phone.

Music begins to play and Yamraiha fumbles with the phone until she finds the speaker and holds it up to the cone. It rings through the courtyard. Bengood slides around to the intro, waving the spectators to come join him. Punya actually grabs the less official looking folks by the hands to pull them towards the center, bouncing to encourage others to move to the music.

Lyrics begin and the kids sing along with all their might, feeding off each other’s energy. They are confident in their moves and accent their favorite words.

“These kids look just like…” Drakon comments to the other generals. Hinahoho nods in understanding disbelief.

The chorus picks up as Sinbad walks up with you and Ja’far following. You rush to dance with your kids. Bouncing, jumping, weaving through the crowd as they drop barriers to join in on the fun.

Sinbad pats Masrur on the back. “So this is where you guys ended up!”

Hinahoho whispers to Ja’far, “Who’re the rug rats?”

“Apparently Sinbad’s kids,” Ja’far sighs.

Suspicion confirmed, Hinahoho exclaims, “Woah! Sinbad has some brats of his own? Atta-boy!”

A small smile grows on Sinbad’s lips as he watches his newly discovered family having fun with his subjects. A faint memory of _“Dance with me!”_ brushes his mind as Bengood spins you. A happiness he never thought he’d be able to feel wells up inside of him. Claiming his citizens as family in the past seemed like a pale comparison to the real thing before him. Sure he cares about his people, but seeing his own flesh and blood with his energy and enthusiasm rejuvenates his spirit.

“Does this mean you’ll finally settle down and tie the knot?” Drakon asks.

“Actually, I just found out I got married about 15 years ago,” Sinbad laughs.

“WHAT?!” most of the generals shout. Sinbad shrugs with a smile and they declare various belated congratulations.

The song ends, another picks up, and the dancing continues in the background. Ja’far insists Sinbad needs to get back to work. He finally concedes and waves goodbye to his friends and leaves instructions for Ja’far to set you and your kids up in a couple of the guest rooms and to have you all join him for dinner. He is not to let you leave for any reason.

When the dancing dies down, you approach the present generals with your children so Bengood can retrieve his phone from Yamraiha. He turns off the music and Yamraiha snatches it back to investigate it, pondering what kind of magic makes it work. You raise an eyebrow to your son.

“Ben…don’t be showing off your phone to everyone. They aren’t use to our technology.”

Bengood grimaces, “Sorry, mom.”

“Mom?” Yamraiha looks up from the phone. She sees you and squeals, “Oh my, (y/n)! Why did you disappear the way you did? I had so many questions about your production! I know not all of those special effects were my spells!” She remembers the phone in her hand. “Oh, is this how you made the music without musicians?”

Bengood swipes his phone back from her and pokes you. “What was that about not showing off our technology? Hm?”

You sweat. “It made a spectacular Mahrajan,” you justified, “right guys?”

“It was perfectly executed! The audience loved the magical touches,” Yamraiha recounts.

Sharrkan scoffs, “Magical touches nothing. What they really liked were the battle scenes with the swordplay I taught the actors.”

“The battle scenes were boring!”

“You magic was boring!”

The two growl at each other. You place a hand on each child and guide them back and away from the escalating scuffle. Your exit is blocked by Ja’far. He is about to speak but is cut off by Hinahoho towering over you and the kids.

“So are you the fine Mrs. Sinbad?”

“For now, Hinahoho. Turns out compliments don’t count when Sin’s drunk.” You look away and rub your arm. “By the way, my condolences about Rurumu.”

“Hm…have we met before?”

“(y/n) sailed with us when we established our alliance with Sasan,” Ja’far reminds him.

Hinahoho thinks back then his face lightens up, “Oh! You were that girl! Haha, Sin was so upset after you left! Glad things worked out for you two! How’d you manage to snag the King without him knowing?”

Ja’far explains, “She caught him during a traumatic point that his memory had blocked. It was a dirty trick.”

“You say that like I planned it…” which you did, but were you that transparent he figured it out?

You are cut off from investigating because Hinahoho picks you up; giving you a bear hug that would have snapped your back if you were a normal denizen of this world. He laughs, “Well that’s the way to do it! Sin’s such a free spirit; way to pin him down!”

“So glad I have your approval,” you muffle from being squeezed against his chest.

He puts you down and pats your children’s heads with his massive hands and engages a conversation with them; telling them tales of when their dad was younger.

Ja’far continues to address you, “You do appear to be more than a normal magician. Tell me, how long did you stay at the Magnostadt Academy?”

Right, they recently had their encounter with Dunya, black metal vessels and signs of Al Thamen. They knew you left them in Mistania to go there, but not how long or short. You devise a vague answer that could be acceptable for explaining your powers but clear you of suspicion of being with their antagonist. You look at your kids’ conversation to appear distracted. “Oh, uh, long enough to learn what I needed there. I still made it to the east.”

“Oh right, that was your original destination. It must have been disheartening when Kou took over. All the help you gave probably seemed pointless.”

“People still have feelings regardless of who claims rule over them.”

“That is true. You wouldn’t by chance have learned anything about Kou while there?”

Kou’s expansion was starting to threaten their little island way out here, so that country must be of as much interest to them as Magnostadt right now. “I’m sure your information network is good enough that you won’t learn anything from me that you don’t already know,” you infer about Zepar and Princess Kougyoku.

This seems to rattle Ja’far a bit. He regains composure by informing you that Sinbad requested all of you to join him for dinner. “You must have encountered many foods along your travels. If you would like, you may use the kitchen to prepare a dish to your taste.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you; Punya is still in that picky eater stage so it would be nice if we can make sure there’s something she will eat.”

You have the kids say goodbye to Hinahoho and the three of you follow Ja’far to the kitchen. You ponder something you could make that would be fit for a king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was so tempted to have Reader pick up a stone at the end to make Stone Soup fit for a King XD  
(I wish I had an excuse to throw in singing the PB&J song with the kids, but that food choice doesn't seem quite fitting for a King's dinner.)
> 
> Hope you enjoy the magic screen ability. I debated on having an iPad pro with pictures you would swipe to show them, but really, you didn’t stop to take selfies during the acts so I stuck with a screen that can display what you can imagine. Another idea was using blood for clairvoyance magic, but 1-Reader doesn't have Rukh and 2-How would Reader be able to pierce the Goddess skin? :p
> 
> For those curious, “Immortals” by Fall Out Boy from Big Hero 6 is the first song I imagined played in the courtyard. I felt it appropriate for demigods lol The kids' musical knowledge is primarily stuff Reader listens to, so those who don't know this song can use another.


	8. Descended God (Sinbad +?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when you think you're alone...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader has told the kids their conception stories, so that’s why they have the idea purple is your favorite color and don’t like red, even if that is not the case for you.

Sinbad painstakingly makes it through his workload. On one hand, he wanted to muse over you, relive all his memories, and anticipate getting to know his kids. On the other hand, the sooner he got his work done, the sooner he could put his new forming plans into action.

When Ja’far enters with more scrolls, Sinbad puts his quill down and enthusiastically greets his advisor, “Oh, hey, Ja’far. How are (y/n) and the kids settling in?”

“They were helping in the kitchens and now relaxing in their rooms. You can see them at dinnertime. You’ve already slacked off enough for one day.”

“Can’t you help me with some of this…?”

“Everything that’s left are proposals that need _your_ signature.”

Sinbad’s turban droops. He blows upwards ruffling his bangs, exasperated at not pawning off his duties.

While tending his own tasks, Ja’far says, “May I inquire as to your intentions with our guests?”

“Well obviously, I’m not going to let (y/n) slip away again! You saw the magic she was able to command and I’m sure there is a lot more she’s hiding. She could be a valuable resource for Sindria.”

“Even after seducing you while you were impaired…twice?”

“I’ll just have to keep her close enough that she can’t pull something like that again. This time, I’ll be calling the shots!”

“This time…” Ja’far looks at him incredulously.

~*~

After an enjoyable meal, you request a bath and excuse yourself, to allow the kids more attention from their father. Sinbad makes small talk with them for a while, but then he excuses himself.

He heads to the Green Sagittarius Tower and lets himself into the room intended for you. He makes preparations on the bed: naked save for a red sash he drapes over his hips and lies on his side facing the door. When the doorknob starts to turn, he grabs a rose and places it between his teeth and gives a debonair look towards the door.

The door opens and Punya runs in, followed by Bengood and their escort, Ja’far. Surprised, Sinbad bites the rose stem causing the top and bottom to fall off.

“Weee! I get to snuggle daddy!” Punya exclaims.

She jumps on top of the bed and topples over Sinbad. Falling back, he shouts, “Augh!”

Ja’far gets one look at him and sighs, “Sinbad, what do you think you’re doing?”

Sinbad props himself up under Punya’s wriggling body, “Isn’t this (y/n)’s room?”

“They switched earlie—WAHH!”

Bengood had grabbed the end of Sinbad’s sash and was lifting it up to inspect it, causing it to slip off. “So you were trying to impress mom? You shouldn’t have used red, she hates that color.”

Ja’far inserts himself, “What do you think you’re doing?! You’re going to uncover that part that’s not suppose to be seen!”

“Hm? But it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

“You’re sister is present!”

Punya rolls off behind Sinbad and stands on her knees. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before either!”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!?!?”

Bengood shrugs, “We bathe together.”

“STILL AT YOUR AGE?!?!”

“Yeah, what’s the problem?”

Ja’far looks like he’s going to blow a gasket.

Sinbad exclaims, “Hey a bath! That’s a great idea kids. How about we all go bathe together? If we hurry, we can catch your mom before she gets out!”

“YOU SOUND LIKE A PERVERT, SIN!!!”

“YAY! A bath!” Punya jumps on the bed.

Ja’far chastises her, “Don’t sound so excited!”

“Relax, Ja’far. It’s okay with family.”

“You just met them today!”

Punya accidentally gets a leg tangled in Sinbad’s hair. She recalls the conversation from a few minutes prior. “Mommy does like purple, though. Maybe you could use your hair like this…?” She positions his ponytail over his hips and smooths it out.

Ja’far screams, “Don’t be encouraging him to act like that!”

Sinbad nods to Punya, who is now grabbing the sash from Bengood. “Thanks for the advice, I’ll have to try that!”

“And you! Don’t be encouraging her to think like that!!!”

“Calm down, Ja’far. They’re just having some harmless fun.”

By now, Punya has stripped and wrapped the sash a few times around her body. She mimics Sinbad’s posture on the bed and says in an artificially deepened voice, “Hey, it’s me! The Lady Killer of the Seven Seas!”

“I don’t think you realize what you’re saying...” Ja’far barks.

She cuts him off, “Come here Ja’far, let me show you a good time!”

Either from her natural cuteness and naivety or his imagination going into overdrive, steam blows out of Ja’far’s ears. Sinbad laughs at Punya’s impression.

Bengood stands on the foot of the bed and raises a pointed hand, exclaiming in a deeper voice, “Not if I kill the ladies first!” He tears off his shirt and jumps on top of the other two and begins tickling them. They tickle back, all three laughing.

Ja’far breathes heavy and his fingers twitch like he’s refraining from pulling his hair out.

With a bathrobe wrapped around your body and towel wrapped around your head, you enter the room and take in the scene. You bring up your hand and support your forehead with two fingers, apologizing to Ja’far, “I’m afraid they got their sense of modesty from their father.”

He grumbles, “Yeah…that’s obvious.”

~*~

After the situation was straightened out and Ja’far convinced Sinbad to put his clothes back on, the advisor retires. You get your kids settled down enough to put on their pajamas. You then tuck them in while Sinbad narrates one of his published volumes to them. When finished, he extinguishes the lights then escorts you to your own room. He leaves it dark, only being illuminated by the moon. He crosses to a window to look up at it. You go to your luggage to slip a light nightgown on.

“I hear you and the kids are able to make music from small rectangles.”

“Rumors sure spread.” You fish for your phone and then a second one. “It’s called a ‘phone’ and I have one for you too. Best these remain secret. I trust your discretion is better than Ben’s was today?” You walk over and hand him the second phone. “You can use it to talk to the kids when they’re off adventuring.” You show him how to turn it on and where to tap to call them. “And if it runs out of energy, face the back towards the sun and it’ll use the sun’s energy to recharge.”

“Amazing. And how about the music?”

“We’ll have to put music on yours first, but—” You scroll through your own musical library, showing him how it works. You select a song and it starts playing. “I’m sure going through music would be a fun father/children activity.”

Being without pockets, you return to the dresser to place your phone on and let the music continue in the background. Sinbad tries out the ‘on’ button on his and stares at the picture of the kids illuminated on the screen.

“They really are good kids,” he sighs happily. “This day defiantly didn’t go as planned. It was fun.”

“So…you’re not mad anymore?” you ask hopefully.

Sinbad softly closes the distance between you: a glint in his eye, a sly smile. His voice is equally smooth, “Don’t get me wrong. I still feel manipulated, and that is something I hate.” He sets his phone by yours and takes your hand and waist, pulling you into a dance pose. “But I am an opportunist and I realize I can’t change the past...only _guide_ the future.” He starts to waltz you around the room, moving to the music. He still smiles down at you even though his tranquil voice drips with spite. “It’s like you didn’t want me to remember being with you on purpose.”

“If you’d like, I could recreate our previous encounters to help you remember them. Now we’re alone, I don’t need to censor them.”

“I would appreciate that. But tell me, are you also one who sees _destiny_?”

You think about how you use the manga to guide you through the world. “I suppose you could say that I do.”

“Are you trying to create abnormalities from destiny’s plan?”

“Quite the opposite,” you reassure him, feeling relieved for the opportunity to explain yourself in a way he’d understand. “That is the real reason why you could not know about _us_ until today. I need to be careful not to affect your predetermined actions.”

“Just what are you that you can see destiny but are not a part of it?”

“Can you keep a secret? As far as you are concerned, I’m a goddess.”

“A goddess?”

Until Magnostadt and the Summit, Sinbad won’t know about Ill Illah, much less Ill Illah’s creator. “Yeah, I can better explain it after you learn about the hierarchy of gods. I _might_ could tell you in about a year.”

“So you transcend this world’s destiny because you are from a realm above it.”

“Pretty much,” you affirm.

Lost in the dance you gaze into each other’s eyes. When the music stops and silence enters the room once more, Sinbad brings your hand to rest on his chest and hugs your waist. By the light of the moon, he then supports your back as he leans in to give you a kiss. Although this time something feels off when your lips touch. Maybe forced? You pull back.

“What’s the matter…my love?” His hands slide around you in a way that makes your skin crawl.

“I-I don’t know. Maybe I’m not in the mood right now…” You try to coax his arms off of you.

“Something’s wrong if I can’t woo my own wife. Let me enjoy and remember. Let’s together have a kid that I can raise up myself. Give me a _son_.”

“You already have a son…and a daughter. Why so set on the gender?” You wriggle some more until he playfully releases you.

“So I can have a smaller-me running around. All about that drive to live on. Another boy should be quite...compatible.”

The way he phrased that makes you think why things feel off. You ask him, “David?!”

“Hm?” He may have tried to sound confused, but his knowing eyes tell a different story.

“I thought you weren’t prevalent until after Magnostadt.” Not breaking eye contact, you back up to reach for your phone on the dresser.

“What do you mean after Magnostadt?”

You think over the manga and when Alibaba was with the spirits that died in Alma Torran. They had concluded that David was with them until the Medium came down in Magnostadt. And that event was not supposed to happen for about a year. Yet here was Sinbad acting like David was in control of him.

You ask him, “Tell me honestly, where do you see yourself at the end of destiny?”

The man before you holds his palms upwards and exclaims, “Honestly? I will destroy God after God until I’ve broken through to even your level!”

“Sinbad doesn’t know about levels yet.”

“You don’t know what he knows.”

“You referred to him as being separate from yourself.”

“Yes, there’s no need to pretend now. So you are familiar with who I am?”

You glare at him and inch backwards. “Yes.”

“And apparently you know my past and my future?” He takes a step towards you.

“Yes.” You back up even more.

“Then you must know how I slip in and out of Sinbad. But from what you told me, perhaps I’ll be able to reside here more permanently. I look forward to...Magnostadt.”

His talk of slipping in and out reminds you of the explanation of how Arba has survived in this world. Perhaps a connection still lingered after the first Sindria’s fall. David could temporarily peek into this world. But if he is here like Arba…that would mean if David were in control when the baby is formed…

“You want a child you can possess the body of.”

“Exactly! Just think! If my power is combined with a goddess—how much more powerful I shall be. I will be able to smite the gods with their own power!”

He starts to close in on you. You recall in the manga when David first possessed Sinbad. How he had a hard time controlling his body, like an amateur puppeteer. Arba controlled Gyokuen seemingly effortlessly. Practice? Or compatibility? But now he was coming towards you like he pursued Falan back in the first Sindria. Thankfully he’s not planning on exploding your limbs one by one, but you shudder at what he is planning. Your back is up to the wall.

“I won’t let you,” you glare. You fade through the wall into the adjoining room. After verifying this room is vacant, you transport yourself to the Purple Leo Tower outside the generals’ quarters.

~*~

In Ja’far’s room, you break in and close the door as quickly as possible. You hope that your show won’t alert David to where you are, but Ja’far doesn’t yet know the extent of your powers so it would be rude and alarming if you just reappeared here. Your hands hold the door closed and you pant like you just ran a marathon. Before you can turn to look for Ja’far, you find a sharp blade against your throat.

“(y/n),” a voice hisses from behind you.

You try to swallow without causing the blade to press too much against you. You remind yourself that this threat is small potatoes compared to what you just ran away from.

“I’m sorry, Ja’far. I-I need to leave immediately.”

“And why is that?”

“I-it’s Sin…” you break down, still distraught about how the evening took a turn.

Ja’far lowers his kunai and groans, “Do I need to have a word with him?”

You turn and place your hands in front of him. “Not right now...he’s not himself. But…if you have some paper…I can write a note to him.”

“Well…okay...” He leads you to his desk and lights a candle on it. He then grabs a piece of paper and sets it down by the inkwell for you.

You thank him and sit down and start writing. Ja’far looks over your shoulder.

_Dear Sinbad, I am sorry I have to leave so abru_-

“Hm? What is that?” He is staring at your writing.

You look over what you wrote so far, thinking how he would see it. See it…right. He can’t read Roman letters. Neither can Sinbad.

You turn to Ja’far and give him a sad smile, “I guess I can’t write in your script. Would you be so kind as to write it for me?”

“Sure,” Ja’far shrugs. You get up as he gets another piece of paper and he sits down. “What would you like it to say?”

You think on how you could word things with Ja’far being the middleman. “Enjoy the kids while they’re here. Goodbye?”

Ja’far looks at you suspiciously. “You’re leaving without the kids?”

“They’re heading off on their own in three days anyway. I guess you can put that in there. Unless that’s too redundant. But it’s not like they’re in danger here.”

“And you are?” Ja’far puts his quill down. “How about we talk about this.”

You hesitate. How can you explain to Ja’far that his boss and lifelong friend is periodically possessed by an evil nut job from a previous world and wants to use you to make sure he can stick around. Bengood is safe because he was born before David first took over Sinbad. Punya…she would be safe, right? He wanted a son to possess. And right now he probably can’t stay here long enough to take her over.

You find that in your thoughts, Ja’far had walked you over to his couch and you were both sitting. He’s looking at you, waiting for you to speak.

“I-I can’t explain it.” You begin shaking.

“Look. You put Sin through a lot today. _You_ are the one that married him. If he tried something that’s within his _husbandly rights_,” he says with disgust, “you do not have my sympathy.”

“It’s not that. That, I could handle.” You smile a little. He seemed to flush in the low candlelight at you mentioning such. “There’s someone else. It’s just that...well...don’t blame Sin. Like I said, he’s not himself right now. But hopefully by morning he will be again.”

“And you-?”

“If I’m around. Something might happen again. But if I’m gone, it won’t. Everyone will be safe if we stay apart.”

“For how long?”

You mentally review how much more time till the end of the manga. “Hmm...maybe about 5 years or so?” That sounded weird out loud. Not to give Ja’far spoilers, but maybe saying _forever_ would have been better?

“You’re not going to come back with another surprise child?”

You laugh a little and rub the side of your eye, “Goodness, no! If we were to have another, Sin gets to raise it from birth.”

“Doesn’t he get a choice in the matter?”

You nod, “It was his request.” You smile in reflection of your dance with Sinbad. Or was it David? Just how long was David in control? You need time to process exactly what just happened. “Well…um…Thanks. I think I’m okay to leave now.”

You look into Ja’far’s eyes. This whole day Ja’far has treated you as his enemy. But now you see his tender features. He could have attempted to kill you, but instead, he’s comforting you. _I didn’t come here to be comforted, did I? _You think, _Why did I choose his room above the others? Because I wanted to leave a message for Sinbad. Ja’far is the closest to him. Yeah, that turned out well! Instead, here I am sitting having an unintended quiet moment with him._

Unintended quiet moment… You become aware that both of you are sitting there in your nightwear. Your eyes travel back up to his face and notice the flickering light of the candle bouncing on his lip. _What am I thinking?! And have I leaned in closer to him? Or…oh gosh! Has he leaned closer to me?!_ Maybe this was rebound? Or maybe just unexpected. You notice his arm has been propped on the back of the couch beside you this whole time. Could there be something here or are you just imagining?

Your lips part slightly. You wait to see his next move.

He stands up. You continue to stare at him.

“Well then I’ll tell him you said goodbye.” He ruffles a hand through his hair.

“Huh?” You try to remember the conversation before drifting off in thought.

“Come on.” He extends his soft hands to takes yours to pull you up. “The sooner you’re gone, the sooner I can sleep.”

With the mood waning, you decide to go in for at least a hug. You feel him offhandedly pat your back.

You whisper in his ear, “Thank you for taking care of him all this time.”

You pull back. Ja’far looks perplexed. You bow your head and turn to leave.

Ja’far asks, “And what if Sin needs to get a hold of you?”

You stop with your hand on the door handle. “It’s better he doesn’t know where I am.”

“I could relay messages.”

You shake your head, while tracing the handle. “You’re loyal to Sinbad. If you know, he’ll find out.”

“That’s true.”

You exit the room and disappear from Sindria. Sure Sinbad told Ja’far you were not to leave under any circumstance, but something was nagging him that it would be better to let you go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you’re curious about cell service in the Magi world, I had an idea about Bengood and Punya putting up cell towers as they travel the world (give them a specific purpose to their travels) but decided to go with the fact that the Magi universe is within Reader’s room. Like how Ugo gives David and Ill Illah a world and puts them in a fish tank in the Sacred Palace. So providing Reader has cell service and wifi, that service would extend to the whole Magi world ;)
> 
> Tell me Readers, what songs did you pull up to dance to with Sinbad? ;) Me, I think I’m leaning towards “I Still Believe” from Disney’s Cinderella 3 for irony purposes of mentioning destiny.
> 
> Whew! Can I just say I’m excited to get on to the next relationship? Yes I like Sinbad, and don’t worry, he’ll be back ;)


	9. Arranging Your Own Arranged Marriage (Kou Empire)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You head back in time to Kou to see about nabbing a Ren boy for yourself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don’t hate me if Reader is too OP, I try to keep it fun ^^; Just remember training with Ugo…
> 
> And to verify: yes, you just jumped back in Magi time. We’ll be hopping around a bit to fill in all those years not with Sinbad. Think of it like reading a volume of Magi then a new AoS chapter comes out. Or one day you feel like watching Kougyoku accusing Sinbad and later need to see Morgiana kicking some tiger tail. (Or telling the holodeck what chapter of the holonovel you want to be in)

The tragedy of First Emperor Ren Hakutoku and two of his sons, Hakuyuu and Hakuren recently took place. His younger brother, Ren Koutoku is now sitting on the throne with Gyokuen at his side. You stride into Rakushou, the capital of the Kou Empire. You feel regal, dressed in robes native to this country. You make your way to the palace with your head high and confident, even if the thoughts swirling in your head were less sure.

This, you determined, would be a good place to hide. Based on their culture, wives and children are not a common topic in conversation. As such, the marital statuses of the princes were never mentioned in the manga and so placing yourself among them wouldn’t disrupt canon. Plus this should give you plenty of time to process your encounter with David and devise a plan to keep your children safe.

When you had first read Alibaba recounting his time with the magicians from Alma Torran, you thought that David wouldn’t permanently connect to Sinbad until the Dark Spot came over Magnostadt. But reading through the manga again after your recent encounter, you found Sinbad did tell Alibaba that he could hear David’s voice (albeit blurry) since the First Sindria was destroyed. So that connection really did remain constant, meaning David might have the mind to possess your daughter, Punya.

But Sinbad was also disappointed that Alibaba would think so little of him that David could control him. How could Sinbad be so stubbornly prideful to think he could withstand such a powerful magician that was fused with Ill Illah?! True, there was no canon reference to David overtaking Sinbad outside the Sacred Palace. Perhaps originally David never found a need to make such a bold move? Your existence in this world provides a bridge to help him to his goals.

_Focus._ Now it is time to see what can be gained from this great empire. There’s plenty of time to worry about David later. You head up the stairs to the palace and a guard stops you.

You ask him, “Excuse me, how does one go about making an appointment to see the Emperor?”

“You’d have to go through the proper channels, which I don’t think you have access too.”

“Is that so?” You scan the vast building before you lift a finger, pointing to the side. “You see that tower there?”

“Yeah…” As he turns to see what you are referring to there is an explosion on the section of the building. He screams.

“I believe Koutoku was just below that. Now, if I fix it, can I have the ‘proper channels’ for say, an immediate audience?”

“I don’t have much influence in that regard. B-but how do expect to repair that?”

“Simple, like this.” You twist your wrist so the palm is up then fold your fingers closed. The smoldering remains of the explosion reverse as the smithereens come back together and the tower is whole once again. “If you inspect inside there, you’ll find I left a little signature while reconstructing. Now go tell your superior and have him tell his all the way up the line until I can have an audience arranged.”

“Y-yes ma’am!” The guard scurries off as you go to the foyer to wait. Boy it felt good to blow off some pent up emotion!

~*~

Before the Emperor, you give a curt bow with your head. No need to demean yourself with a full kowtow. “Your Majesty. I trust you found my little demonstration quite memorable.”

“Memorable, not enjoyable,” Emperor Koutoku says in a gruff voice. “State your business.”

“Right to the point?” You shrug. “I understand you have the goal of unifying the whole world. I have come from a land to the east of here but west of Reim. I am the supreme ruler of the kingdom there.” There is no need to tell him the size of said kingdom. “I too am interested in unification to end all wars. I have come to discuss joining countries so you are one step closer to your goal. As for what I can offer in support, well, as you witnessed first hand, I can restore objects and people.”

Koutoku flexes his arm as if remembering the damage it took in the explosion and now how there is no trace of it. “And destroy.”

“I refuse to use my destructive powers for war. Do away old rubble to make way for a new building or clear a path for travel I can do. I will not permanently damage living people with it.”

“And you willingly lend your support to the Empire?”

“Within my own moral compass. The advantage of me coming to you first rather than waiting to be conquered is that I have leverage to set terms.”

“And what are your terms?”

“That is pretty much it. Don’t force me to use my powers in a way I disagree with.”

“Hmph. If only all the other Rulers and Chieftains had your foresight and wisdom, war could end today. You do understand that you still would have to subjugate your country to Kou?”

“I believe I understand customs when it comes to arranging such things. I would take one of the sons of Ren as a husband so our countries would naturally assimilate.”

“The sons of Ren are still young. You may have the honor of becoming one of my wives.”

You shudder inside. Calmly you reply, “I can wait for the boys to come of age. A difference in our cultures is I am allowed multiple husbands. It would not do for me to marry an already married man.”

“Those differences would not matter after you become part of Kou.”

“Still, you would dishonor yourself bringing an already married woman with children into your harem?”

“Then you make to dishonor one of my sons?” his voice raises slightly.

“Not if the son is still pure. If I am his only wife, there would be no problem.”

“There is when it comes to succession rights. Have you any children to marry off instead?”

“My oldest is barely four right now.”

He rolls his eyes. “Yes…and any subsequent ones would be hard to prove they are truly a Ren.”

“I am very good about keeping track of that sort of thing.”

“We’d have to take the word of a woman on that. Give me an Artemyran headache!” Ironically, Koutoku looks over at Gyokuen for a solution.

Gyokuen smiles, “Seems only fitting that she relinquish her other husbands or her children would be of the lowest rank in succession.”

You know how crazy the monarchy is going to get in the future and how the world is going to be turned upside down by the time any of your kids would be old enough to worry about ruling. “I suppose as long as I have the option and not being forced one way or the other, then that is fair.”

“Then that much is agreed. In a year or two, my oldest will be ready. He is a fine specimen with two dungeons already conquered.”

Your smile is cut short when Gyokuen holds her hand up, interjecting, “How do you wish to proceed? Will you give up your other husbands or your children’s rights?”

“I have not decided yet,” you respond vaguely, even though you fully intend to keep every spouse you claim in this world.

“If you do not relinquish your husbands, it would not do for Kouen’s offspring to loose their succession rights,” Gyokuen states.

“Excellent point. My second is a couple years younger. But the third, you would have to wait a decade. I’ll offer you my second son.”

You muse over the proposition. After some consideration you say, “The second should be fine. On one hand, that would give me more time to take care of my other husbands if I choose to cut them off. On the other hand, should I keep my husbands, a second child already has lower expectations of taking the throne and less concerned about progeny inheritance than the first. The third would be even more so, but I doubt you want to wait a decade before I officially offer my support. Sounds like a happy medium.”

“It is agreed. I’ll have alliance papers drawn up. You may stay in our guest chambers while that is being finalized. But I warn you to not go wandering around. We have a tradition that wedding partners do not see each other before the wedding ceremony.”

You nod your head in compliance.

~*~

Sitting on the bed in the guest chambers, you scroll through your phone, researching canon references to David while pondering how you would proceed with the lot given to you in Kou.

Kouen might have been more ideal for your overall goals, but being married to Koumei could be advantageous to the recent threat. Since he heads the magical research in Kou, perhaps this could grant you access to something to change your daughter’s composure to be incompatible with David. Like how Arba couldn’t possess Hakuryuu after his Rukh mixed with Kouen’s.

There is a brief knock on your door. You quickly stash your phone into your sleeve as Gyokuen let’s herself in. _Think of the devil._

“Are you finding yourself comfortable?” she asks

“Yes, thank you.”

“The alliance papers should be done by tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”

She walks over and hovers over you. She bears an interesting smile. “Could you tell me more about your country? I have never heard of it.”

You had given them the name of your country when getting the details needed for the paperwork. You humor her with whatever particulars you feel like sharing with her.

To tie up she comments, “My, and the culture too! Earlier you mentioned that you are allowed to have several husbands. I’m jealous!”

You can’t help your snide reply, “You have had many throughout time yourself, _Arba_.”

Her eyes narrow. “Only a few know of that name, yet you do as well. Also, I am curious about the lack of Rukh around you. Just who exactly are you?”

You shrug. “No one you need to concern yourself about. I may know a lot, but I have no intention of interfering with your and Al Thamen’s plans.”

“Then what _is_ your intention?”

“Right now? I just want Koumei all to myself. Untouched by anyone else and innocent for me to shape. If you have any say in the education of the sons of Ren in those matters, I would hope you would make the necessary adjustments.” You do not know how true Hakuryuu’s statement to Alibaba in an Omake about maintaining the royal line was, but it’s best not to take any chances.

She brings a sleeve up to cover her coy smile. “My, my, such childish ambitions.”

_And what do you call it when you later throw yourself at Kouen and Sinbad and kiss your son?_ you think skeptically. Out loud, you curtly reply, “I think of it more as adult indulgence.”

She giggles, “Then as long as you only indulge yourself on Koumei, I won’t interfere with you either. However, I have plans for Kouen, so keep your distance.”

_Plans indeed. I see the real reason for your visit._ “As you wish, my lady,” you comply. “To make sure I avoid it, how would interacting with Kouen meddle with your plans?”

“Lets just say…there are intricacies for the succession rights for the future of this country. His firstborn needs to be bred with care,” her grin is almost wicked.

Is she really planning over 10 years in advanced to use him to birth her next vessel after Hakuei? Not that she’ll have the chance so it’s not worth arguing over. You signify your understanding.

~*~

The next morning, you are lead to a room for official business to go over the alliance papers. Although to your surprise, instead of papers, there are a few people. A smiling Gyokuen stands in front of the small assembly.

“What’s all this?” you ask her, gesturing towards the entourage behind her.

“Oh, well, I couldn’t stop thinking about your country,” Gyokuen explains. “In our haste yesterday, we agreed to an alliance without knowing exactly what _we’d_ get out of the bargain. So that we can be fully efficient in our resources, we must inspect your country before allowing you to wed into the Ren family.”

“So you wish to see it yourself?” you ask with a raised eyebrow, hiding your annoyance that things will not be going as smoothly as you anticipated.

“I wish I could, unfortunately, I am needed here. Instead, if you would take these representatives to your country, they can report back to me.”

You look over the group; there are four that hide their faces under headdresses like Al Thamen, and then a young teen.

“These four will be able to communicate directly with me while you are abroad. Ka Koubun here shall observe and write up a detailed, official report.”

_Ka Koubun?!_ You look at the youth and can kind of see the resemblance. _I didn’t recognize him without that tattoo across his face._

Ka Koubun bows to the Empress, “Do not worry, you highness. Not a single detail shall escape my notice!” His bow is so low; she is unable to see his face, much less the greedy look in his eye.

_Definitely Ka Koubun…_ you can feel an anime sweat drop on the side of your face at his antics.

“My travel arrangements are not meant for others,” you protest.

Gyokuen waves a hand to the side. “That is not a problem. We have acquired a flying carpet from a dungeon that you may use to take them there.”

~*~

You sat on the carpet, deep in thought on how you would pull this off. The members of the organization took turns supplying magoi to fly the carpet. If only the whole group would sleep at once, you could whisk them into your Virtual Reality room at your castle and generate a façade for them to inspect. Or disappear to construct a city around your castle. Or make a whole different place so they do not discover your advanced technology…

About the third day of flying over the ocean, you were no nearer to a solution that suited you, and it was hard to think because Ka Koubun kept chattering away about his hard upbringing and ambitious plans. You might have thought his plans were arrogant later when he’s Kougyoku’s retainer, but right now, this kid thinks he can seriously be THE emperor in a few short years!

Then he yammered on about more useful information like all the wedding traditions you would have to follow, such as getting dowry gifts to your future husband: another thing to weigh on your mind now. You made the mistake of asking him for ideas on good gifts, which he stated you would need things that are grand and exotic if you were to have any standing within the family or court. You already knew you’d want to present your prince something special, but Ka Koubun remained vague.

As you ponder over all the things that appeal to Koumei, Ka Koubun interrupts your thoughts again to point wildly in the distance. He yells about spotting land and orders the Organization members to juice up the carpet with their magoi so they could quickly make it to firm ground.

Sure enough, you look to see land growing in the distance. The shore extends as far as you can make out to the north and south. This must be a-whole-nother continent! You ponder if this would be the Magi-world equivalent to North America. It would make sense if there were American and European-like lands that were not covered in the story.

Ka Koubun hops off the carpet and starts looking around and mumbling to himself. He knocks on a mossy tree, commenting on wood being a resource and licking the ground saying the land is rocky. He writes furiously on his notes.

“Eh, what are you doing?” you ask him.

“My inspection, of course! This is a vast land you have been hiding here,” is his snarky reply.

“This isn’t my country…”

“Hoho! You can’t fool me! Do you know what this place is called?”

“Uh…No?”

“If you would have us believe your country is further east, then how did you get to Kou without crossing here first?”

“I have my methods.” You rub your temple to stave off the headache he’s causing.

“No real answer? Just as I thought! I can see that you truly do not wish to subjugate to the Kou Empire and so these past few days you’ve been plotting to thwart our inspection. But I saw right through you and now we have this vast land that will be joined to ours, thanks to my cunning! This is bound to get me a promotion! We’ll need to bring some cartographers out here to see how big this place is!”

“Woah…” you are stunned at his assumptions, but maybe this could work to your favor.

“Now, lets see where you rule from? Where is your castle?”

You shrug. “I told you this land isn’t mine.”

“Gonna stick with that story, eh? Well no matter, I’ll find it myself! Men, follow me!”

The Organization members and you trail behind Ka Koubun while he blazes the trail ahead through the forest. There is a cool humidity, so the continuous movement helps to stay warm. You ask why you are going on foot instead of using the magic carpet, to which Ka Koubun explains that they could miss things due to the forest canopy.

Eventually you come upon a tall rock formation jutting out of the forest like the last remnant of a higher plain worn away by erosion. Ka Koubun walks around it, stopping on the far side when he finds petroglyphs. The rest of you go around to see for yourselves.

Indeed, there are images like cave paintings on the rock. These must have been etched in the early stages of this world and this rock is jutting up by some reason other than erosion. You might be projecting your own knowledge of this universe’s history, but in your mind, you can kind of make connections between the pictures and the happenings of Alma Torran: stick figures running from something that looks destructive; a blob with many arms extended; lightning bolts; and then there are swirls and square spirals that you are more unsure of the meaning.

The Organization sends a visual image to Gyokuen through black Rukh and they seem to be conversing with her about it in the background. Ka Koubun presses his cheek against the smooth rock and strokes a hand over the carvings. He continues to feel around the side of the rock, until he disappears, falling behind thick vines and finding a hidden alcove. He scrambles up and you can hear him laugh. He comes out with a tablet.

“Ho ho! Look what I’ve discovered in your land of treasures!”

You inspect it. “It looks like it’s in the language of Tran. I wonder if is a more modern explanation of the petroglyphs here…” you muse.

He shoves the tablet in front of your face. “Well how about you read it for us!”

“I can’t read Tran.”

“Then I’ll just have to take this back to Kou with me! I think the royals learn Tran. The First Prince is fond of history. Presenting an original source like this to him is bound to help boost me through the ranks!”

One of the Organization members walks up to you and bows his head. “Lady Gyokuen is familiar with this land from long before it was inhabited. She agrees with Ka Koubun that you must be trying to hide it from the Empire in an attempt to keep your country’s autonomy. To confirm, show us some of your subjects, and then we may return to solidify the alliance.”

Ka Koubun beams with pride at the recognition.

You shrug. “I don’t know where we’d find anybody around here.”

Ka Koubun looks up the rock like he’s considering scaling it. He shakes his head then orders the Organization men, “Let’s use the carpet to gain a better view to see if we can spot civilization. The sooner we confirm that for Lady Gyokuen, the sooner I can return and get a promotion!” He never was subtle, was he?

With all of you on it, the carpet soars high in the air, allowing Ka Koubun to scan in all directions. He points to the north at what looks like a possible village and so that is the direction you fly. Indeed there is a village there with long wood buildings and totem poles scattered about. The carpet lands in the clearing amidst locals that wear what looked like woven tree bark, jewelry of claws, teeth and clams, and dark red markings, most noticeably the shapely lines tattooed on their cheekbones.

The inhabitants are startled and immediately the men grab fishing spears and surround you, pointing the sharp hooked ends at you. Women herd the children into the plank houses. The men shout at you in a language that no one in the group comprehends.

“Don’t you peons recognize your queen?!” Ka Koubun shouts at them waving his arms towards you. He then growls, “Talk to them before they skewer us!”

“I can’t speak their language,” you say exasperated.

“Sure you can! I bet you were born speaking their language and ours is only secondary!”

You try to think of a way you can communicate with them. Being so far from the known Magi cultures, they are less likely to have an elder that speaks your language unlike the tribe Sinbad ran into on the Dark Continent. _Perhaps they would accept a peace offering?_

You use your creation powers to rearrange floating particles into baskets of bounteous food. You hear gasp from the villagers around you. Their grips on the spears soften. You bend down to pick up a piece of fruit and take a bite to show them it is good. Then you take another piece and hold it out to see if one of them will accept it. The villager in front of you lowers his spear and steps forward, reaching for it.

He takes a bite; everyone watches in earnest. He smiles at his comrades and shouts, “Bonnie wei!”

“Yes. Bonnie wei!” you repeat and hold your hands outwards trying to indicate the food is for them and they could help themselves.

They hold their spears upright as they share the gift, waving the women and children out that it is safe. The faces smile at your group as they partake of the offering. Even though you can’t understand them, they prove to be pleasant host for the evening. The Organization transmits the encounter back to Gyokuen while the villagers share friendly expressions with you.

Finally, late that night, you find the rest of your party asleep so you may whisk away to your castle unnoticed. You work on forming the dowry gifts to leave for Koumei in your movie room. The giant screen is paused on an episode of the Magi anime where there is a good view of Koumei’s metal vessel. It may be presumptuous of you to give him something you know he will treasure, but there were no references on where his fan came from. It’s not like you can’t be the bearer of this gift.

Gold metal handle intricately shaped, oval gem, black feathers. You make sure the details match perfectly. You then work on a craft of something that has to do with hearts and yin-yangs. There still is some time before you need to return without suspicion, so you come up with a few more gifts, making sure there is an even number to signify pairs as per Kou’s custom.

The next morning your group makes to depart the village and head back to Rakushou. Ka Koubun comes out of the lodgings with the tablet held tight to his chest like his very future depends on it.

“Hurry it up, shrimpy!” you call out to him.

He stumbles down the few steps from the building then shakes two fists in the air screaming, “Who are you calling a minuscule pipsqueak shorty?!” To his dismay, he had released the tablet in his fit and it hit the ground, cracking into a few chunks. He falls over it and tries to piece it back together but is unable to carry it like this.

A young village girl comes up to him and hands him a woven cloth. He looks at her questioningly, so she lays it flat on the ground and moves the pieces onto it, then wraps it up tight enough to keep its rectangular shape. They look into each other’s eyes and he tells her thanks, even if she doesn’t know what that means. They share a smile that transcends language barriers.

~*~

Back in Rakushou, Ka Koubun gives his detailed report to Emperor Koutoku and Lady Gyokuen. They accept it and have the finalized alliance papers brought to you. You make the attendant read all the fine print out loud so you can make sure there aren’t any disagreeable terms. You verify that the land mentioned in the contract is the one visited, which you’ve given up trying to say it wasn’t yours to begin with. This leaves you with the freedom of your real kingdom not being under Kou’s rule. You make sure there are terms protecting the inhabitants’ welfare in the acquired land. They are not to be terrorized or enslaved.

As everything meets your approval, you sign away. You then present your dowry gifts. You look at the royalty to gauge their reactions, but Koutoku keeps a rigid poker face. Gyokuen tells you they are acceptable with her habitual smile. You bow your head to them and tell them you will return when you are ready to marry the Second Prince.

You take your leave. Gyokuen takes the metal fan and heart charm, leaving the other gifts to be given to Koumei at later times. She goes out to the courtyard where the Ren children are playing about. A few of the daughters are chatting as they stroll around the pond. A teenage Kouen spars with a very young Kouha. Gyokuen approaches the young teenage Koumei who sits under a tree reading a scroll in one hand and holding crumbs in the other that a pigeon is pecking at.

“I have good news for you my son,” she oozes.

Koumei holds back an eye roll. Just because she married his father does not make her his mother. He sets down his scroll and brushes the remaining crumbs into the grass for the birds. He stands politely to be addressed.

She holds out two of the dowry gifts and continues, “You are betrothed!”

Little Kouha stops striking at Kouen. “Whaaaat?! Mop-head is getting married before En?”

Gyokuen chuckles, “The marriage will still be a few years off, but this union will help the Kou Empire immensely.”

Koumei takes the gifts and ponders over them as Gyokuen takes her leave. She goes to darker quarters of the palace where Al Thamen members wait to hear what she has to say about recent developments.

“So does her country hold the promises she told you about?” asks a hooded figure.

Gyokuen sneers, “The land may be large, but a disappointment. It’s best we leave it alone. The real gem here is having (y/n) and her abilities under our thumb.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The referred to Omake: [Note Vol 13 2nd extra (Magi 122.5 Night Take 2)](https://youdontknowthings.tumblr.com/post/31032620330/magi-volume-13-extras-vol-3-vol-4-vol)
> 
> If you check out Kou’s map behind Kouen in the anime Season 2 Episode 12 about 9&3/4 minutes into it (HP reference totally unintentional…I promise!) there is a green land mass east of Kou, I had that body of land be where Ka Koubun did his inspection.


	10. Big Fat Royal Wedding (Koumei)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to face the music of wedding bells as you return to Kou for your wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry that I haven't updated this in forever and a day, but rest assured this hasn't been abandoned!
> 
> In case you are wondering to the ‘why’ of any of the parts of the wedding, I looked up traditional Chinese wedding customs to base this off of. A little is different to adapt to the Kou custom Kougyoku mentioned during the Balbadd Arc (season 1 ep 13/chapter 57) of wedding partners not allowed to meet before the wedding.

You return to Kou after skipping ahead a few years. Your last visit was memorable enough that it was not hard to be granted an audience this time. Before the Emperor you say, “I hear my betrothed has conquered a dungeon.”

Koutoku responds, “News travels fast. Still, I expected you to return a few years back. You’re betrothed is 20 years old now.”

“I had other matters to attend to,” you state. You may not have attended to them yet, but you plan on going back and visiting other countries during those years. Now that Koumei has attained a djinn, it is like a right of passage. You imagine he’s more likely ready for you at this time.

“Have you had enough of your other men and ready to devote yourself fully to the House of Ren?” he grills.

You do not want to directly lie by saying that you are cutting off your other relations, but as you mean to be in Kou for a few years, you do not want your Ren children to be treated of lowly birth just because others may question the identity of their father. You bow your head. “I intend to be with only Koumei under your rule.”

~*~

In the palace library, the royal brothers are looking through scrolls. Kouen has a serious face as he interprets and cross-references the scroll in hand with a broken tablet to the side. Little Kouha sits on the edge of his desk, looking like he had better things to do, but if he helped his brother with what he was looking into, maybe there’d be time to spar together. He sifts through a gathered stack, seeing if any of it would be of interest to his eldest brother. Koumei rolls up a half-read scroll and gets up from his chair, heading towards the door. Kouen eyes him.

“Leaving so soon? You’re usually the last one here,” the oldest brother muses.

Koumei yawned and scratched the back of his head. “Technically I’m still here from yesterday. Right now there are other matters that I probably put off way longer than I should.”

Having had just about enough with scrolls, Kouha hops off the desk. “Can I go with you? It’ll probably be more interesting than this stuff.”

“I doubt it…there’s a robe fitting and betrothal gifts and… _ other _ meetings.” Koumei doesn’t care to delve into the details of him putting off his meeting with the matchmaker. She’s supposed to read his aura and align his birth date with yours to see if the match is favorable and what day for the wedding would assure a good future. To him that was superstitious nonsense. The marriage was already arranged; if the matchmaker were opposed to it, it would still take place.

Kouha exclaims, “Oh right! You’re finally going to get married. Took her long enough! What, it’s been like five years? She should have been ready in two!”

“It wasn’t proper for me to get married before Kouen,” Koumei justifies.

At this, Kouen sets his scroll down and smiles. “All the excitement from our sisters’ and my weddings has died down. You’re not stealing anyone’s thunder.”

The twelve year old hops in front of Koumei and stands on his tiptoes, trying to get in his face. “Did she really pick you over En?”

They never got the full story on how the engagement was arranged, so the notion was a little flattering to the second brother. Koumei tried to yawn into his fan to hide his flushed cheeks. “From what I understand she wanted the second son.”

“Wonder why? But it’s a good thing you guys can’t see each other until the wedding. If she saw you beforehand, she’d probably call it off ‘cause you’re so ugly!” Kouha slaps a fist to his palm. “Hey, maybe she heard about your pimple face and that’s why she’s held it off for so long!”

“Yeah, whatever.” Koumei turns and leaves. Walking down the hall, his fingers rub tighter around the handle of his metal vessel, reminding him that the fine gifts you had bestowed him showed you must think highly of him. He assured himself that his younger brother was simply teasing him. He did not feel like giving Kouha the pleasure of a reaction to his jest. But a seed was sown: Would his future bride find his face repulsive on the wedding day? The union will happen regardless, so he tries to quell the misgivings planted.

~*~

The eve of the auspicious date chosen for the wedding is finally upon you. You have been tucked away in the guest quarters while wedding preparations were made, but now you can meet a few of your soon-to-be in-laws at the Hair Combing ceremony. You have bathed in water infused with pomelo leaves and donned brand new red pajamas and bedroom slippers. You sit at a table facing the window, looking up at the moon. Ceremonial candles and food are laid out before you.

One of Koumei’s married sisters, Kouju, stands behind you with a round comb ready. A young Hakuei and younger Hakuryuu and Kougyoku are also in attendance. The rest of the family is with Koumei in his quarters for the ceremony. As you have no family to be present, Koutoku  _ graciously _ let these members attend your part of the ceremony.

Koumei should be having a similar treatment as you simultaneously. The same candles, the same leaves, the same food. Both of you should be staring at the moon right now, so you are unified even though you are separated. You try to imagine how he must be feeling on the eve of his wedding. Is he happy? Excited? Scared? Nervous? Annoyed? Indifferent? From what you’ve seen of him in the series, he is often tired, and always thinking. You suppress a smirk as you imagine tomorrow’s ceremony with a sleep bubble coming out from his veil. He better not fall asleep at his own wedding!

A gong to signify midnight resounds over the palace, indicating the ceremonies to begin. Hakuei gets up and lights the pair of dragon phoenix candles in front of you. A moment’s silence is given to allow you to pray to the ancestors. When the candles have burnt down to a certain level, Kouju brings the comb to your head and starts with the first combing.

“May your marriage last for a lifetime,” she recites as she combs through your hair. Through the second combing she says, “May you be blessed with a happy and harmonious marriage until old age.” During the third combing she says, “May you be blessed with an abundance of children and grandchildren.” You stifle a laugh, thinking how abundant your children will be in the future. Now the fourth and final combing Kouju pronounces, “May you be blessed with longevity.”

She sets down the comb and measures out some red string and cuts it. She ties the string to the green, bristly Thuja leaves that were on the table and then clips them into your hair for the night. She takes a seat on the ground beside Kougyoku and they all watch you consume rice balls and the other food before you. You feel a bit self-conscious with them staring at you so silently.

“Excuse me since I’m unaware of these customs, but are we allowed to talk?” you ask them.

The siblings look at each other. Hakuei answers, “Normally this is a celebratory occasion with much happiness. But we don’t know much about you. You are free to initiate conversation when you are done reflecting.”

You let out a breath of relief. “Oh good. I was afraid that I was going to curse something just by asking!”

Kougyoku piped up, “Talking shouldn’t curse you! Now some bad omens that would doom your marriage for sure would be…mpf mfmth mphth…”

Hakuryuu’s hand shot over Kougyoku’s mouth. He exclaims, “Don’t mention them now! You’ll speak them into existence!”

Kougyoku brought a sleeve up to her mouth. “Oh right. I’ll have to tell them to you later.”

You smile at the young princess, “I would like that very much.”

Kougyoku is taken aback by your friendliness. She smiles. “It seems as though what Ka Koubun said of you is true.”

Ah yes, by this time, he should be Kougyoku’s retainer. Otherwise she’d still be hiding in her quarters like a feral cat. “Oh dear, what did he say of me? I thought he didn’t trust me.”

She giggles, “I suppose I’ll have to tell you that later too! He enjoyed meeting the people of your country.”

In conversing, you found that Hakuei admired the fan you had made for Koumei. You learned that Hakuryuu is currently trying to master his skills at making dim sum, perfecting the flavor combination. Kougyoku had taken a section of your hair and practiced her best braiding skills on it. Kouju explained how she was married off to the Yun clan when they joined the Kou Empire. Her hobby is calligraphy, but she seemed more proud of already bearing two sons. As it got late, they left you with the reminder to stay awake until the candles have burned all the way down. You again stare up at the moon in reflection.

~*~

In Koumei’s quarters during the ceremony, his mother (the one that gave birth to him) was attempting to get the comb through his matted hair, but it kept getting stuck in all his rats.

Exasperated, his mother says, “We should have brushed your hair out before the ceremony, dear. Oh my, is this a chunk of pomelo in here?”

Kouha elbows Kouen and whispers, “Think it’ll be too late for his bride to run away when she sees that monstrosity on his head?”

One wouldn’t think the teasing would get to him, but still Koumei sits very flustered, not used to so much attention focused on him. Either being a coincidence or that he had heard his brother; his face turns redder after Kouha’s joke.

“That’s enough,” Kouen quietly states to Kouha with his usual grim expression.

Gyokuen gets up to help Koumei’s mother get the comb out of a nest. The two mothers discuss back and forth about the need to cut it or if his hair was still salvageable.

Again Kouha whispers to his eldest brother, much quieter this time but with more disgust, “Honestly, what does that hag think she’s doing, ‘helping’ your mom? She ended up getting her way of performing your ceremony when you were first married too. With her bad luck of losing half her family, she probably rubbed it off on you and that’s why…” Kouha trailed off before mentioning what he remembered to be a sensitive topic. Not that Kouen had ever said it out loud, but Kouha could guess that the fact he didn’t have any sons of his own yet bothered him.

As if proving it to him, Kouen stifles a sigh, but his fists clench visibly on his knees.

After finally getting the four combings through Koumei’s hair, he starts to scarf down the food before him as the candles are burning low by this point. The sisters start to talk back and forth like giddy girls, speculating on what their new sister-in-law will be like. Kouen and Kouha get up to pat their brother on the back.

“And now Mei’s a man!” Kouha congratulates. Teasing aside, he adds, “She’s one lucky girl to get you!” With him standing and Koumei sitting, he off-handedly takes a section of his brother’s hair and braids it as they talk.

~*~

Attendants have dressed you in traditional red wedding gowns and you wait for the ceremony to commence. The Thuja leaves and string from the Hair Combing ceremony are in a red envelope tucked into your obi. A small buttoned pocket inside the sleeve holds 13 silver coins to give your new siblings-in-law. You’re sure that’s the right amount you need: Kougyoku is the 8th princess, plus three brothers plus two of Hakutoku’s kids. Good thing 13 is a lucky number in their culture that means assured growth!

The convoy arrives at your quarters to fetch and escort you to the castle’s grand hall for the ceremony. Gongs and bells ring through the air as you walk along. You try to keep a smooth, flowing course, but the veil over your face obscures your vision. You are sure to keep your arms up in front of you, folded together and hidden under the sleeves. The procession brings you to where another veiled figure (the one that you will soon wed) stands outside the hall.

At that moment you face each other and then turn towards the hall and ascend the steps together over the red carpet. Both yours and his escorts merge behind you and start setting off small firecrackers in your wake. The giant doors open before you two and you enter and proceed straight ahead to the altar that is set up before the thrones.

Once there, the two of you bow simultaneously to Emperor Koutoku. You face the altar and bow to the ancestors represented there. Then the two of you face each other for the final bow. Now you part your hands from under your sleeves to lift the veils from your faces and can look upon one another for the first time.

He seems stiff. Regardless, your face is beaming as you see the man who soon will be yours. Koumei visibly lets out a breath he was holding. The edge of his mouth twitches a faint smile at the reaction of your initial sight of him.

You now take the two shallow dishes from the altar that are tied together with a red ribbon and drink out of them together. You have done your part and can now relax and gaze at Koumei while ceremonious words are pronounced. By the end of the proceedings, the ribbon that joined the dishes now ties you together.

As you depart, you stop by Koumei’s siblings that stand in a row and unbutton the pocket with your presents for them. You hand one silver coin to Kouen, who in turn catches you off guard with a sly smile. Not knowing why his look makes you feel embarrassed, you quickly step sideways so you can give Kouha a coin, then Kouju, five more Ren sisters, Kougyoku, Hakuei and Hakuryuu—each bowing their head upon receiving. Odd, you still had two silver coins left.

You nervously look at the coins in your palm and down the line of siblings counting over again how many you gave out. Then it dawns on you: you had included Koumei in your count and counted Hakuei twice! You’re stumped at what you should do now. The nervous look on Kougyoku’s face makes you worry that your error was a bad omen.

Just then, a teenaged Judar waddles up in Kou robes and stands beside Hakuryuu. He looks like he has a hard time moving in those clothes, which may be fancier looking than the outfit he wears when he’s older, but he is definitely underdressed for the occasion compared to the others present.

Hakuryuu elbows him and whispers, “Dummy! The ceremony’s almost over now!”

Less concerned about keeping his voice down, Judar replies, “Hey! I at least made it to the best part.” He extends his hand out to you. “Where’s my present, hag?”

Subconsciously, your hand lowers as you gape at his gall. He sees the coins and swipes them out of your hand with a mischievous grin. On one hand, this does help you save face from miscounting, but it irks you to let him talk to you like that.

Before you can react, Koumei places his hands on your shoulders to usher you away to the nuptial chambers that have been prepared. Everyone else gets to attend a feast.

The double doors to the bridal suite are intricately carved, but the bed inside more so: dragons and phoenixes etched around the bedpost and cover. Red lavish curtains drape along three sides and a golden mural painted over the head. Snacks of peanuts and dates were laid out as well as your wedding gifts to each other.

After the doors close and you two are alone, you turn to your new husband and find he is already presenting you with the traditional groom’s gift of matching dragon and phoenix bracelets. “Um…here,” are the first, nervous words he speaks to you.

“Thank you.” You take them with a smile and set them down. You then present him with a not-so-traditional gift: a stratagem board game called Risk. “I thought this would help you with the many strategy meetings you’ll have in the future,” you admit.

Koumei looks down at it with a mild hint of confusion and then up to you with a soft smile. “That’s very thoughtful.” He takes it and sets it aside. “Er...Despite what’s expected, we can get to know each other before being intimate.”

“That’s quite considerate. I assure you, I am ready when you are.” You lift your hand to stroke his cheek. “I actually know quite a bit about you. I’m happy to have such a wonderful person!”

Either the compliment or your touch causes Koumei to blush. “Then you have the advantage. Please be patient, for my sake.”

A brief look at the bed makes you lament at the waste of such luxurious surroundings, but as you don’t need a full nine months to make a baby, you figure you might as well grant his request so he has time to love you more fully. Besides, since his father enacted measures of proof that any of your kids are Koumei’s, there’s no need to raise extra suspicions.

“Then I look forward to our consummation in the future. Although, I must admit I thought you’d be excited for this.”

Koumei glances nervously to the side. “Honestly, I was relieved when my  _ education _ in such regards was cut out thanks to our betrothal. Upon your request as I understand it.”

“What can I say? I hope to mold you in such regards. As I’ll be your only wife, you and I can work out the ‘us’ together, without worrying about preconceived notions of how things are done. Kind of like what we are doing, or rather not doing, right now.”

Koumei gives a relieved chuckle. “That sounds nice. We can at least make ourselves comfortable as I get to know you.”

The two of you start to remove the ceremonial garb. After the headdresses are removed, you look over to him and are shocked to see straight hair like in his djinn equip instead of his normal voluminous locks. You check again for Dantalion’s horns to confirm this is his hair and not his djinn’s. You ponder how long it took to pull that off.

“Oh, wow...you’re hair...it’s smooth! I was not expecting that, but…it looks good. Mind if I touch it?”

“Go ahead.”

You run your hands through and come across a braid in his. You tug it while also pulling the one still in yours up into view.

“So what does this tradition represent?” you ask.

Koumei chuckles, “This one isn’t a tradition. Kouha loves braiding hair. Did Kougyoku do yours?”

“Yeah.”

He scratches the back of his head with a smile. “They probably will ask us who made the better braid.”

“Oh? Well, Kougyoku wins hands down!” you claim.

Koumei gives you a competitive smile. “I beg to differ. Kouha’s braid is much finer.”

“Maybe we should settle this with a game? I trust you know chess.”

“Of course.”

You bend down and reach under the bed so he doesn’t see you materialize a basic chess set box and bring it out. “Good thing I came prepared!” You set the box on the bed and begin setting up the game.

~*~

Koumei found the strategies Risk afforded stimulating. You experimented different strategies with each other, determining the best approaches for different situations. He picked it up quickly and it was something the two of you enjoyed when together, but there are only so many ways two people can play Risk together. So after a few months, Koumei invited his brothers to learn the game.

At first, it was just the three of them. With more than two powers, the dynamics of temporary alliances came into play. It was Kouen that asked Koumei if you would be able to join them as a fourth player on the board. He seemed pretty confident in his request.

The popularity of the game spread throughout the castle and Kouen took note which of his sisters had a knack for managing their little armies on the board.

One evening, you have the game sitting out, ready to play as Koumei visits your quarters. You’ve been in Kou for a while now, and even if you don’t get to see your new husband very often as he’s quite busy, you feel he’s ready for you even if he acts too shy to initiate.

You propose, “How about we put a little wager on it this time? Winner chooses this evening's activities.”

Intrigued, he took his color and claimed his first territory on the board. “And what would you have us do if you won?”

You cast him a mysterious smile. “Perhaps I’ll only let you find out if you lose…”

In the past, you may have adopted different approaches to help Koumei develop strategies of his own, but now you will pull out all the stops against him. This round the two of you opt for a few other colors to be placed on the board as neutral territories.

As play is underway, you focus on securing Australia and the 2 extra armies per turn it warrants. You refrain from picking off easy targets and allow Koumei to exhaust his resources in doing such. Just as long as you get one victory per turn so you build up your card collection to save for trading in.

Casually, you bring up the topic of how well he currently feels he knows you, gauging if he’s yet comfortable getting closer to you. He does find you a welcome reprieve from his duties to the Empire. Although he still seems to be shy in some regards. With some more prodding, he lets slip that he’s worried about how Kouen would feel if he had kids before him.

It’s your turn at this point and you have saved up enough cards to trade in for enough armies to take over Africa so you cash them in and go on the warpath to claim another continent and it’s bonus as well as get a foothold on South America. Koumei had managed to take North America, but ridding him of that bonus would have to wait for your next turn.

He prepared with an ample defense so as not to make it easy for you. You flesh out your hold on the south and the following turn use your reinforcements to sweep up Asia to take Alaska from him. After that, your growing armies made it easy to finish the game.

Koumei clapped his hands in congratulations. “Good game. I guess the evening is yours then. What did you have in mind?”

You walk around the table and slide onto his lap, hands running up the collar of his robes. “How about we start with something like this?” Your fingers lace behind his neck and lean in for a kiss.

**King Vessel “Koumei” Conquered.**


End file.
